U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York was fired after he refused to resign. Bharara was one of 46 federal prosecutors asked to resign March 10, pursuant to letters sent from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Bharara had been nicknamed “the sheriff of Wall Street.”
“Preet Bharara has been an exemplary U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “His relentless drive to root out public corruption, lock up terrorists, take on Wall Street, and stand up for what is right should serve as a model for all U.S. attorneys across the country. He will be sorely missed.”
According to a report from NPR, such resignations are standard during administration transitions, because U.S. Attorneys are presidential appointees. Sessions and President Donald Trump, however, previously assured Bharara that he could stay in his position.
Department of Justice spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said that Sessions asked for the 46 prosecutors to resign to ensure a uniform transition.
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