Former Manhattan Federal Prosecutor Told Congress Attorney General Barr Pressured Him to Resign
Published by The Lawfare Institute
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Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who was fired last month, today told Congress that Barr pushed him to resign prior to his dismissal.
In his opening statement to the House Judiciary Committee on July 9, Berman told lawmakers that “The Attorney General said that if I did not resign from my position I would be fired. He added that getting fired from my job would not be good for my resume or future job prospects. I told him that while I did not want to get fired, I would not resign.” Berman testified behind closed doors today to discuss his dismissal as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, calling William Barr’s move to appoint an Acting U.S. Attorney from outside the office following his firing “unprecedented, unnecessary and unexplained.”
You can read a copy of Geoffrey Berman’s opening statement here and below:
