NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration has identified its leading choices for the top federal prosecutors in Manhattan and Brooklyn, N.Y., including one who is a law partner of White House ally Rudy Giuliani and another who is a law partner of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, according to a document sent to New York’s two senators.
The White House’s choice to replace former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in the Southern District of New York, based in Manhattan, is Geoffrey Berman, a partner at Greenberg Traurig LLP, which also employs Mr. Giuliani, according to the document, which was described to The Wall Street Journal by a person who has seen it.
Mr. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has been an outspoken advocate of the president and had been under consideration for several posts in the White House.
The nominations follow a directive in early March from the Justice Department that all of the 46 remaining U.S. attorneys appointed by former President Barack Obama step down. Mr. Bharara, who said he had been asked earlier by Mr. Trump to stay on, refused to resign, which resulted in his firing.
Mr. Trump has nominated more than 30 individuals to occupy U.S. attorney positions, although just three have cleared the Senate confirmation process. They were approved during the chamber’s final day of action in Washington before an August recess.”
-Erica Orden and Nicole Hong, “Giuliani Law Partner, Partner of Trump Attorney Among Choices for Key U.S. Attorney Posts,” The Wall Street Journal online, Aug. 8, 2017 05:43pm