Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raised concerns on Thursday regarding the possible nomination of Manhattan’s interim top federal prosecutor, Geoffrey Berman, to permanently fill the post, due to his questionable independence from President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
A statement from the senator said that she was “deeply” disturbed by reports that President Trump personally interviewed Berman for the position, which encompasses jurisdiction over Trump’s home, offices and real estate holdings in New York.
“If this meeting took place it shows a lack of judgment that (Gillibrand) believes her colleagues should view as disqualifying as a nominee,” the senator’s statement read.
Several media outlets reported last October that the president had personally interviewed Berman and a few other candidates for U.S. attorney, which is an unusual practice for presidents. This prompted some Democrats to imply that it was an inappropriate move by Trump, especially for the Manhattan post.
The Manhattan U.S. attorney is one of the nation’s top law enforcement posts, which prosecutes Wall Street financial crimes and government corruption and takes on terrorism cases.
Berman, a member of Trump’s transition team, was sworn in on Thursday as one of 17 interim U.S. attorneys appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to serve in jurisdictions around the country. The interim posts are held for four months but nominees can be re-appointed by a court or the president can officially nominate them after which they are confirmed by the Senate.
Gillibrand, who as any other senator holds veto power, can try to block Berman’s nomination through the “blue slip” process.
Senator Richard Blumenthal has similarly expressed his disapproval of Berman, tweeting that “Trump’s appointment of a prosecutor is absolutely abhorrent to the rule of law.”
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