Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams to Step Down Before Trump Inauguration.
Damian Williams, the leading federal prosecutor in Manhattan, who has successfully prosecuted notable figures such as U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried, announced his resignation on Monday, prior to Donald Trump's anticipated return to the presidency.
Williams, appointed in 2021 by outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden, will officially resign on December 13, ahead of Trump's inauguration scheduled for January 20. Edward Kim, currently serving as his deputy, will take over as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. This office is recognized for its significant autonomy from the U.S. Justice Department and is renowned for handling major cases involving financial fraud and public corruption.
Trump has already indicated his intention to nominate former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton to lead this office, a position that requires Senate confirmation. Throughout his tenure, Williams prioritized securing convictions against former billionaire financiers on fraud-related charges.
Notably, Bankman-Fried was convicted in November 2023 and subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers of approximately $8 billion through his FTX cryptocurrency exchange, an act described by prosecutors as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history. Sung Kook "Bill" Hwang, the founder of Archegos Capital Management, was convicted in July and sentenced to 18 years in prison for stock market manipulation that resulted in significant losses for Wall Street banks.
Both Bankman-Fried and Hwang maintain their innocence. Williams also intensified the focus of his office on public corruption cases. In July, he achieved a conviction against New Jersey Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Menendez for fraud and for acting as a foreign agent. Menendez, who has denied any wrongdoing, has since resigned and is awaiting sentencing. In September, Williams filed bribery charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, who has pleaded not guilty.
I am assured that I am departing at a moment when the office is operating at an exceptionally high standard, maintaining and surpassing its already established levels of excellence, integrity, and independence, Williams stated in a formal announcement. During a conference held last week, Clayton expressed that his office is strategically positioned to concentrate on national security matters, as well as addressing issues related to terrorism financing and money laundering.
A COMPLEX DYNAMIC
Williams is notable for being the first Black individual to assume this role. Prior to his nomination to the district's top position by President Biden, he led the office's securities and commodities task force. Early in his legal career, Williams served as a clerk for the late liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and for current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during Garland's tenure as an appellate judge. By resigning before the inauguration of Trump, Williams will circumvent the possibility of facing a situation similar to that of his predecessor, Preet Bharara, who was dismissed from his position shortly after Trump took office in 2017.
Bharara, appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama in 2009, has indicated that Trump initially requested him to remain in his role. Trump's relationship with Bharara's successor, Geoffrey Berman, was fraught with tension. Berman's office secured a guilty plea from Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, and indicted two associates of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has served as Trump's attorney.
Williams' office concluded an investigation into Giuliani without filing any charges. In a memoir published in 2022, Berman recounted that the Trump administration attempted to exert pressure on him to pursue criminal charges against political adversaries of the president. "Throughout my tenure as U.S. Attorney, Trump's Justice Department persistently urged me to utilize my office for political purposes, which I consistently refused," Berman noted.
In the course of his presidential campaign this year, Trump committed to utilizing the Justice Department to target his political adversaries. Legal experts have indicated that such actions could jeopardize the impartiality of career prosecutors and disrupt established norms of prosecutorial independence. Williams commended the career attorneys in his office, referring to them as "patriots" and asserting that they operate with autonomy. "They are deserving stewards of this office's legacy of conducting affairs correctly, appropriately, and for justifiable reasons," Williams stated in his announcement. Damian Williams’ resignation as Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney marks the end of a remarkable tenure defined by high-profile convictions and a commitment to justice.
As the first Black individual to hold this role, Williams not only broke barriers but also reinforced the Southern District of New York’s reputation for tackling complex financial fraud and public corruption cases. His departure, ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, ensures a smooth transition while preserving the office’s integrity and independence. Williams leaves behind a legacy of excellence, highlighting the critical role of unbiased prosecution in upholding the rule of law amidst political challenges.
