WASHINGTON The surprise decision by the US Department of Justice to replace a top federal prosecutor has thrust one of the Trump administration's more low-profile, bipartisan officials into the spotlight, shocking people who know and have worked with him.
Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Jay Clayton has come under enormous pressure to spurn his nomination to replace US Attorney in Manhattan Geoffrey Berman, who was fired by President Donald Trump on Saturday after refusing to resign in a Friday night statement. In his post at the Southern District of New York , Mr Berman had led the prosecution of high profile corruption and Wall Street crimes, and had been investigating Mr Trump's personal lawyer, Mr Rudolph Giuliani.
Mr Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, said he had not been consulted on Mr Clayton's nomination and that he still planned to seek approvals from New York Senators Schumer and his fellow Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, as is usual practice.