Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lauded President-elect Trump’s decision to keep Preet Bharara in his role as Manhattan U.S. attorney.
In a rare moment of bipartisan unity about one of Trump’s personnel decisions amid harsh Democratic criticism of several of his Cabinet choices, Schumer said he is encouraged by Trump’s decision to ask Bharara to stay on and “fully” supports it.
The aggressive New York Democrat, who is set to lead Senate Democratic opposition to Trump’s agenda next year, disclosed that Trump sought out his advice on Bharara last week.
“President-elect Trump called me last week and asked me what I thought about Preet Bharara continuing his role as U.S. attorney,” Schumer said in a statement. “I told him I thought Preet was great, and I would be all for keeping him on the job and fully support it.”
“I am glad they met and am glad Preet is staying on,” Schumer continued. “He’s been one of the best U.S. attorneys New York has ever seen.”
Bharara emerged from a meeting with Trump at Trump Tower Wednesday and said he had agreed to remain in the top federal prosecutor post.
“The president-elect asked, presumably because he’s a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years … whether or not I’d be prepared to stay on as the United States attorney to do the work as we have done it, independently, without fear or favor for the last seven years,” Bharara told reporters inside the lobby of Trump’s Midtown domain after his 40-minute powwow.
“We had a good meeting. I said I would absolutely consider staying on. I agreed to stay on,” he said, noting that he has already told Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Trump’s pick for attorney general, of his choice.
Bahara, who is known as “the sheriff of Wall Street” for his prosecution of nearly 100 banking executives for financial fraud and insider trading, won a corruption conviction against former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver exactly one year ago Wednesday.
Bahara highlighted the conviction just moments before meeting with Trump in an apparent effort to highlight his successes in an effort to keep his job.
“One year ago today, Sheldon Silver got justice, and at long last, so did the people of New York,” Bharara tweeted before his meeting at Trump Tower.
Like current Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who also served as a U.S. attorney in New York state, Bharara has won convictions against several international terrorists, including al Qaeda leader Khalid al-Fawaz, who helped carry out the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya, and Salaam, Tanzania.
