The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, was recused from the investigation into President Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, ABC News reported.
Berman was not involved in the FBI raid of Cohen’s hotel room and office in New York City because of the recusal that was approved by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, sources told ABC News.
{mosads}Other officials in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York handled the search of Cohen’s office, home and hotel room.
Berman was appointed to his post by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He previously worked with Rudy Giuliani, who is a supporter of Trump, and donated to Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Sessions testified to Congress that Trump personally interviewed candidates for several U.S. attorney positions, including the job in New York, which might partly explain his recusal.
Berman replaced Prett Bharara, who has become a vocal Trump critic since his firing.
The raid on Trump’s lawyer was reportedly carried out after special counsel Robert Mueller — who is investigating potential Russian collusion in the 2016 elections — gave federal prosecutors a referral.
While not related to Mueller’s investigation, the raid likely resulted from information Mueller’s team uncovered during its investigation and handed over to New York prosecutors.