World News – USA – Ousted US Attorney Berman hired by a New York law firm

NEW YORK (AP) – Geoffrey S. . Berman, the overthrown Manhattan federal attorney who led multiple investigations into President Donald Trump’s allies, was hired by a New York law firm.

Berman will serve criminal defense in economic cases and work on complex commercial disputes at Fried, Frank, Harris and Shriver & Jacobson, the firm said on Tuesday.

The company is « known for providing cutting-edge advice to top corporations and high-profile individuals, » Berman said in a statement.

Berman was evicted as a U in June. S.. . Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he led several investigations of tentacles in Trump’s orbit, including one into the affairs of Rudy Giuliani, the President’s personal attorney.

The same office is prosecuting former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen for campaign finance crimes and two Giuliani employees linked to the investigation that led to Trump’s impeachment investigation. Giuliani was not charged.

Berman later told the House Justice Committee that Attorney General William Barr had « repeatedly asked » him to step aside and accept a new position as Head of the Civil Department of the Justice Department.

« I told the attorney general that I wasn’t interested, » Berman told the panel. “There were important investigations in the office that I wanted to work through until graduation. ”

Berman’s dismissal has been condemned by some critics as a « Friday night massacre » and has sparked longstanding concerns among Democratic lawmakers that the Justice Department had been politicized under Barr.

Berman’s new role as head of Fried Frank’s office was previously held by Audrey Strauss, Berman’s successor at Manhattan U.. S.. . law firm. Berman did not agree to resign until the summer after assuring that Strauss would run the office.

« It’s been great teaching at my alma mater, even if it’s from Zoom, and once things get back to normal I hope to be able to teach in person on campus, » he told The Associated Press.

Geoffrey Berman, Donald Trump, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, William Barr, United States Attorney for the Southern Borough of New York, Law Firm