Trump nominates former White House counsel James M. McDonald as U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York
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President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor and current Sullivan & Cromwell partner, to lead the Southern District of New York, succeeding Jay Clayton.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he will nominate James M. McDonald to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a vacancy created after Trump selected the incumbent, Jay Clayton, for the director of national intelligence post. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor, previously worked as a regulator at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump’s first term and served in the White House counsel’s office under President George W. Bush. He is currently a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell and part of the legal team handling Trump’s appeal of New York felony convictions tied to hush-money payments.
The Southern District of New York is considered one of the Justice Department’s most influential offices, overseeing cases ranging from terrorism and espionage to securities fraud and public corruption. McDonald also helped secure a favorable outcome for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani when the Justice Department dropped a fraud case initiated under the previous administration.
"I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Nicholas Biase, spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, said the office "welcomes the President's choice to lead the SDNY. Mr. McDonald is widely respected."