Trump Again Picks Personal Lawyer for a Top Job, as U.S. Attorney in Manhattan
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump announced he will nominate James M. McDonald, one of his personal lawyers, as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a highly influential legal position.
- McDonald has notable credentials, including serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, Director of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and clerking for Chief Justice John Roberts.
- He would replace Jay Clayton, Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, who still requires Senate confirmation after concerns about his lack of experience.
- McDonald is currently a litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell and part of Trump's legal team appealing his criminal conviction on felony counts related to falsifying business records.
- The Southern District of New York has historically been an independent prosecutor's office and has played a key role in investigating several of Trump's legal issues over the past eight years.