Schumer Says He’ll Block 2 of Trump’s US Attorney Nominees

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WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on April 16 announced that he would seek to block nominations made by President Donald Trump for two top federal prosecutor roles in New York City.

In each of the 94 federal judicial districts across the country, a U.S. attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer.

The U.S. attorney leads all federal prosecutions, represents the U.S. government in civil suits, and commands federal law enforcement agencies (e.g., the FBI, ATF, and DEA) in their district, giving them significant legal power.

The president appoints them to four-year terms with the advice and consent of the Senate, although federal law allows the naming of interim U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period.

The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), which covers the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, is regarded as the country’s most influential prosecutor due to the high-profile cases they handle.

The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) has jurisdiction over the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, giving both officers control of all federal prosecutions in New York City.

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Due to their influence, Schumer said he’d try to block nominations to these roles, saying Trump has “made clear” he will use prosecutions for personal retribution.

“I am blocking the Senate from moving forward on the US Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of NY,” Schumer wrote on social media platform X. “Trump has made clear he intends to use the DOJ, US Attorney offices, and law enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies. Such blatant political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of law.”

Technically, Schumer doesn’t have the power to “block” nominations. By custom in the Senate, opposition to a U.S. attorney nominee from a state’s senior senator renders the nomination “dead.”

However, this is not a firm rule, and the Senate majority may ignore such opposition and bring the nomination to a vote anyway.

The SDNY has overseen many high-profile prosecutions recently, including of Luigi Mangione, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Jeffrey Epstein. Many prominent American lawyers have served as the district’s U.S. attorney, such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The Senate Judiciary Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

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