SDNY on edge as Clayton departs for DNI post

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton’s nomination to run the National Intelligence Director will leave SDNY watching closely for a successor, amid concerns about DOJ influence and Clayton’s outsider status with ties to Trump. While he presided over major matters like Maduro’s narco-terrorism case and early insider-trading prosecutions, his 14-month tenure left leadership gaps, prompting names like Sean Buckley, Nicolas Roos, and James McDonald to circulate as potential replacements and fueling unease about who would steer the storied office through DOJ upheaval.