All articles tagged with #james mcdonald
James McDonald will assume day-to-day leadership of the Manhattan SDNY starting July 14 while Jay Clayton remains the titleholder and focuses on his confirmation to become director of national intelligence; the transition moves ahead before Senate sign-off after Trump altered the timing of the DNI process.
Manhattan prosecutors welcomed James McDonald—an internal favorite with a track record at SDNY and links to the CFTC and Trump-era efforts—as the new head of the Southern District of New York, hoping his reputation for integrity would steady the office amid concerns it could be led by a political ally or an unqualified appointee; some colleagues praise his credentials while others note his ongoing representation of Trump raises questions about independence.
President Donald Trump named James McDonald, a former Manhattan prosecutor and close ally, the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, replacing Jay Clayton. McDonald’s nomination comes after months of speculation and comes with questions about whether he’ll be nominated by the Senate or installed as acting U.S. attorney. The move could relieve Manhattan prosecutors worried about an inexperienced Trump loyalist running the powerful office, and follows Clayton’s tenure that included cases like the Maduro drug-trafficking prosecution and various insider-trading prosecutions. McDonald previously worked at Sullivan & Cromwell and has been involved in Trump’s hush-money appeal.