US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Jay Clayton, a former US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, as his choice for Manhattan’s chief federal prosecutor.
Clayton, who works at Sullivan & Cromwell specialising in mergers and capital-raising, has established himself as a politically independent figure. During his SEC tenure, he was known for seeking agreement with Democratic commissioners.
The spokesperson for the Southern District of New York‘s US Attorney‘s office offered no response when contacted.
The selection of Clayton appears unusual for this prestigious office, renowned for prosecuting significant financial crimes, given his lack of experience in criminal law.
In July 2020, during Trump’s presidency, Clayton was temporarily nominated to succeed Geoffrey Berman as the Southern District of New York’s US attorney. Berman was dismissed by Trump after refusing to leave his position.
During this period, Berman’s office was conducting an investigation into Trump’s former lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani.
