President-elect Donald Trump revealed plans Thursday to replace the prosecutor whose office is targeting NYC Mayor Eric Adams, announcing he will tap his former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton as the US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
That post is currently held by Damian Williams, a Democrat, who has gone after Adams and a number of other high-profile targets such as former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we, Make America Great Again.”
In June 2020, Trump attempted to appoint Clayton Manhattan US attorney, but his nomination was not confirmed due to discontent over his role in the firing of the prior officeholder, Geoffrey Berman.
Clayton, 58, had served as Trump’s SEC chair from May 2017 through December 2020. During his tenure, Clayton’s SEC took aim at Tesla boss Elon Musk, now a close ally of Trump, for allegedly lying to investors with a social media post claiming that he’d take the electric car giant private.
Ultimately, Musk settled after raging at the regulatory agency, dubbing it the “Shortseller Enrichment Commission” among other insults.
Clayton’s nomination comes as Adams stares down charges related to an alleged bribery scheme related to a Turkish government official and other foreign nationals.
Hizzoner has pleaded not guilty and is facing five counts. He is the first sitting mayor to be indicted in New York City history and could be thrown behind bars for up to 45 years if convicted.
Among the litany of accusations Williams made against Adams is that the mayor took in $123,000 worth of bribes such as travel upgrades and scored $10 million in public campaign funds fraudulently. At one point, while being investigated by the FBI, Adams changed his cellphone’s passcode and claimed to have forgotten it when pressed by the bureau, per the indictment.
Trump has conveyed sympathy for Adams in the past, though it’s unclear if he would flex his pardon power for Hizzoner.
“We were persecuted, Eric. I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric,” Trump told Adams at last month’s Al Smith Dinner.
Adams has tempered his criticisms of Trump, stressing that he does not believe the soon-to-be 47th president is a fascist, despite members of his own party claiming as much. The Big Apple mayor, who has criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, recently revealed that he is “scenario planning” for Trump’s vowed mass deportation plans.
A corporate lawyer, Clayton does not have prosecutorial experience, though the Southern District of New York is known for handling financial or fraud-related cases.
After departing the Trump administration in 2020, Clayton went to NYC law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and nabbed a board spot on private equity firm Apollo Global Management.