Schumer asks DOJ to probe Berman's ouster as U.S. attorney

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer on Monday issued a letter to top Department of Justice officials calling for an “immediate” investigation into the weekend firing of Geoffrey Berman as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

In a letter to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz and Office of Professional Responsibility director Jeffrey Ragsdale, Schumer called for a “joint investigation” into the dismissal of Berman, who prosecuted a number of President Donald Trump’s associates, including Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. Federal prosecutors, under Berman’s direction, also have reportedly been investigating the business dealings of Trump’s current personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

“I ask that you review the reason for the removal of the U.S. Attorney Berman and whether he was removed for partisan political purposes, to influence an investigation or prosecution, or to retaliate for his actions in any specific investigation or prosecution,” Schumer wrote.

Schumer’s letter came hours before the Wall Street Journal published a report indicating that a day before Berman’s ouster, he had refused requests by senior Department of Justice officials to sign a letter criticizing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for enforcing social-distancing measures to block large religious gatherings, but not protests.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, speaking at Monday’s White House Press Briefing, defended Berman’s removal, telling reporters “he was not” fired because of his role investigating Trump’s associates. 

McEnany said the decision was made based on Trump’s desire to appoint current Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Jay Clayton to the position “to keep him in the government.” 

McEnany insisted Berman’s abrupt firing "will not disrupt the cases being handled by the district, which will proceed as normal.”

U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday night initially announced that Berman was stepping down, but Berman responded that he first learned of his ouster from media reports, had not resigned, and would remain in his post. Berman’s refusal to voluntarily resign, prompted Barr to issue a statement on Saturday indicating that Trump had ordered Berman’s firing at Barr’s recommendation.

Asked by reporters about the firing on Saturday, Trump told reporters he was “not involved.” On Monday, McEnany said Trump and Barr were “in sync” about the decision.

Berman ultimately stepped down on Saturday after Barr announced the firing and noted that Berman’s deputy, Audrey Strauss, would become the acting U.S. attorney until a permanent appointment is confirmed. 

Berman, a one-time member of Trump’s presidential transition team, was appointed to the role on an interim basis in January 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. After his interim appointment period ran out, the White House did not put forward another nominee, leading the federal judges in Manhattan’s Southern District of New York to vote in favor of appointing Berman to the position full-time.

As Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Berman led a number of high-profile probes into Trump associates, including Cohen, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and campaign finance violations in August 2018. Berman also issued a grand jury indictment against Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two former business associates of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. Fruman and Parnas have pleaded not guilty to illegally funneling foreign campaign contributions to a political action committee supporting Trump’s reelection.