Judges approve Trump's pick as interim US Attorney in Manhattan [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Aug 18, 2025, 5:45 PM ET


A federal court appointed Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s choice for US attorney for the Southern District of New York, to serve in that position as his interim term was set to expire, making him the president’s first significant US attorney appointment that has gone unchallenged. Judges in SDNY appointed Clayton on Monday to serve as US attorney effective August 20, the court announced Monday.

Clayton, a former corporate attorney and the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, has never been a prosecutor. Unlike some of Trump’s picks for other US attorney positions, Clayton has not made controversial charging decisions that have been criticized as being politically motivated.

The appointment by the judges marks a reversal at a time when Trump’s been unable to get US attorneys in place during his second term.

Senators have blocked most of Trump’s nominations to US attorney positions, including Clayton. Trump has put in place interim US attorneys across the country, but those terms are expiring and some have met resistance by federal judges, who are allowed by law to appoint a US attorney after an interim’s term expired.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/18/politics/jay-clayton-us-attorney