This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
On June 20, 2020, US President Donald Trump fired Geoffrey Berman as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a move that has sparked controversy and raised questions about the independence of the Justice Department.
According to sources, Mr. Berman's dismissal was the culmination of a long-standing feud between him and Attorney General William Barr, who had been seeking to rein in the Southern District's autonomy.
Mr. Berman's office had been investigating several high-profile cases, including the indictment of Halkbank, a Turkish state-owned bank, which had been a point of contention between the two men.
Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has announced an investigation into the firing, calling it 'corruption and incompetence.'
Mr. Berman's departure has raised concerns about the impact on ongoing investigations and the potential for political interference in the Justice Department.
