The ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee said Friday that the fired U.S. Attorney for Manhattan did not reveal any wrongdoing by Attorney General William P. Barr’s bid to oust him.
Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, said the closed-door testimony from Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, did not reveal “any specific wrongdoing, misconduct or other impropriety” by Mr. Barr.
Mr. Jordan’s comments come one day after committee chairman Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat, said the botched removal of Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor nearly broke the law.
“The attorney general repeatedly attempted to entice Mr. Berman to step down voluntarily, even after Berman made clear that his leaving would disrupt certain sensitive cases,” Mr. Nadler told reporters Thursday. “We don’t know yet if the attorney general’s conduct is criminal, but that kind of quid pro quo is awfully close to bribery.”
As Mr. Jordan tells it, Mr. Berman stubbornly resisted the attorney general’s attempts to peacefully transition him to another position at the Justice Department.
“Berman dug in and decided that he would not leave his position without a fight,” Mr. Jordan cited as among his key takeaways. “Berman informed the attorney general that he would not resign and preferred not to leave the position.”
Berman’s refusal to step down last month turned into a major embarrassment for the administration. After the attorney general announced Mr. Berman’s resignation, the top prosecutor released his own statement saying he wasn’t going anywhere.
After a messy tug-of-war with the administration, President Trump fired Mr. Berman.
He testified on Thursday in a closed-door session with members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Democrats on the panel will likely grill Mr. Barr about the situation when he testifies later this month.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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