High-profile U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York has resigned as a federal prosecutor.
Williams oversaw the convictions of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, among others.
He is also the prosecutor of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and rap superstar Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In a statement, Williams said:
“It has been an honor to serve the American people.”
He will resign at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 13, according to a report by CBS News.
The first black man to fill the prestigious and influential position, Williams was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Trump has already spoken about his intention to replace the attorney.
The Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, once led by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, handles high-profile public corruption, securities fraud, and terrorism crimes.
Williams was instrumental in getting New Jersey’s longstanding Democrat senator “Gold Bar Bob” Menendez convicted of bribery, FTX CEO Bankman-Fried convicted of fraud, and Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking while he was in office.
Adams is facing allegations of bribery and wire fraud, while Combs is facing a variety of counts, including sex trafficking and racketeering.
Both individuals are currently awaiting trial.
They have both entered not-guilty pleas.
An Iranian man was also under Williams’ supervision earlier this year on charges related to a plan to kill then-candidate Trump.
As he announced his resignation, Williams used the term “bittersweet” to describe his time in the office.
“It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world,” he said.
“It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level — upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence.”
Edward Y. Kim, who was Williams’ deputy, will take over as acting U.S. attorney once he leaves.
Earlier this month, Trump made public his intention to nominate Jay Clayton, his former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to lead the office.
The 2020 candidacy of Trump’s nominee Clayton was ultimately withdrawn due to resistance from Democrat senators from New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as the circumstances surrounding the resignation of then-US Attorney Geoffrey Berman.
As he announced Clayton’s possible nomination, Trump praised him as “a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant.”
“Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote.
