Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, refused to sign a letter criticizing New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) for okaying protests but not religious gatherings a day before Attorney General William Barr announced he would be replaced, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Justice Department supervisors asked both Berman and Eric Dreiband, the head of the agency’s civil rights division, to sign the letter, but after a brief back-and-forth, Berman objected to its characterization of de Blasio’s handling of the protests as a double standard and said signing the letter would hurt relations between the city and his office, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The letter was never sent.
It is unclear whether the episode contributed to the Justice Department’s removal of Berman.
The agency announced late Friday that Berman would step down as U.S. attorney, after which Berman denied resigning, leading Barr to announce that President Trump had fired him.
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Ousted US attorney refused to sign Justice Dept letter criticizing de Blasio over social-distancing rules: report https://t.co/YNutYH29Ms pic.twitter.com/QhYRlwieMc
— The Hill (@thehill) June 22, 2020
Your reminder that except for personal control of nuclear weapons, William Barr is, on a daily basis, more dangerous than Trump. https://t.co/srnaqaoFAY
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 22, 2020
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