The US Attorney for the powerful Southern District of New York did not resign and is not “stepping down.” Attorney General Bill Barr declared in a late Friday night press release that Geoffrey Berman “is stepping down after two-and-a-half years of service.”
That was a false claim.
Katherine Faulders, an investigative reporter covering the White House and Capitol Hill for ABC News reports Berman was “fired.”
Berman says not only did he not resign, he learned of Barr’s intentions only after the press release had been published. And he says he has no intention of resigning – he will stay in his job until the Sensate confirms his replacement.
“I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘stepping down’ as United States Attorney,” Berman said in a statement, ABC News reports. “I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate.”
“Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption,” he continued. “I cherish every day that I work with the men and women of this Office to pursue justice without fear or favor – and intend to ensure that this Office’s important cases continue unimpeded.”
Former SDNY prosecutor Mimi Rocah says Barr “lied.”
The New York Times adds the stand off sets “up a crisis within the Justice Department over one of its most prestigious jobs.”