In its first 24 hours, the new Trump administration intervened in key U.S. prosecutors' offices to quickly appoint new interim leaders, a practice in the past that reflects the importance of front-line prosecutors to the administration's plans. It showed a departure from the
Three of the most important federal prosecutors' offices (two in New York City and one in Washington) have announced new acting leaders. Two of them are respected, long-time prosecutors. The third is a Trump supporter who advocated for the defendant's release on January 6th.
The new acting director of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan is Daniel Sassoon, best known for his successful 2023 prosecution of Sam Bankman Fried on charges of fraud in the cryptocurrency business.
John Durham, a veteran federal prosecutor on Long Island, will lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn. Mr. Durham is the son of former special counsel John H. Durham, who investigated possible government misconduct in previous investigations into President Trump.
And in Washington, officials announced that conservative activist lawyer Ed Martin will take over the role of the U.S. Attorney's Office, which has overseen more than 1,500 prosecutions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Mr. Trump granted clemency to all of those cases on Monday, and Mr. Martin, in his first official act, filed a motion to dismiss all pending cases on January 6th.
Typically, when a new president is elected, most of the previous administration's 93 U.S. attorneys resign and are replaced by surrogates until a replacement is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. The transition period can last several months.
However, in this case, the Trump administration seems determined to quickly fill important positions. Federal prosecutors' offices in New York and Washington tend to handle many politically sensitive cases.
Current and former law enforcement officials said the new approach came as a surprise to Justice Department veterans, and is a departure from previous transitions, as lieutenants traditionally move to interim positions. He said it was a major change from.
Administration officials have privately discussed broader efforts to name interim leaders to more positions as quickly as possible. But while Mr. Trump seeks to make major changes to the department, he may face challenges identifying dozens of people for temporary assignments to achieve his goals.
Trump signed an executive order Monday calling for a broad review of the past four years of the Justice Department, ending what he called its “weaponization” against him, his allies and conservatives.
One of the major changes being considered is the redeployment of a significant number of lawyers to handle what the administration hopes will be a major boost in immigration cases as Trump seeks to expand and speed up deportations. It's something to do.
That would likely involve moving some prosecutors from the Washington-based Civil Rights Division and other departments to a handful of U.S. attorney's offices closest to the southern border, according to people involved in the initial talks. There is a high possibility that it will be necessary.
Congressional aides briefed on the plan said Trump's new team of relatively inexperienced political appointees at the Justice Department would have time to ensure competent prosecutors fill key positions. The administration's exact plans are being kept secret.
So far, most of the officials elected to senior positions at the department have been met with relief by career prosecutors, including two prosecutors in key interim positions. Devin DeBacker, an expert on foreign investment screening, will lead the department's national security division. Antoinette Bacon, a former federal prosecutor in upstate New York, is being considered as a replacement in the criminal division, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sassoon has been an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan since 2016 and was part of the prosecution team that won the conviction of Bankman Fried, founder of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison. It was.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said Sassoon, currently co-chair of the department's criminal appeals division, was appointed interim U.S. attorney by Acting Attorney General James R. McHenry III.
Daniel C. Richman, who teaches criminal law at Columbia University and is a former prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, said it was unusual for the agency to “not move down the hierarchy” in selecting an interim U.S. attorney. Ta.
“But what the Trump administration has done is put in place someone who gives every indication of being an outstanding aide in the best traditions of this administration,” Richman said. “This is a balance between wanting a complete break with the Biden administration and respecting the administration's culture and its reputation, at least for now.”
Mr. Sassoon also prosecuted Lawrence V. Ray, who was convicted in 2022 of racketeering and sex trafficking charges related to the abuse of students at Sarah Lawrence College's Daughters' Residence Hall. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
She is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, and also clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Mr. Sassoon replaces Edward Y. Kim, who has led the office since December when Damian Williams, a former federal prosecutor under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., resigned.
Mr. Sassoon is expected to serve as interim U.S. attorney for a relatively short period of time. Trump's choice to replace him, Jay Clayton, must be confirmed by the Senate.
Mr. Clayton, a lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Mr. Trump's first term.
A spokeswoman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office said Durham was appointed to run the agency on Monday. Mr. Durham has worked in the prosecutor's office for nearly 20 years.
In that role, Mr. Durham led a team of prosecutors and investigators who arrested and convicted hundreds of MS-13 gang leaders, members, and associates. Durham, who was named head of the agency's Long Island division last year, has also prosecuted major public corruption and civil rights cases. He is a graduate of Holy Cross and the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Mr. Durham will serve until Mr. Trump's selection of Brooklyn's U.S. attorney is confirmed by the Senate. Trump said he would nominate Long Island judge Joseph Nocera Jr.
kitty bennett Contributed to research.
