Episode Details

Geoffrey Berman’s removal as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in June 2020 immediately generated controversy because of both the chaotic way it happened and the sensitive investigations his office was handling. Attorney General William Barr first announced that Berman was “stepping down,” only for Berman to publicly state that he had not resigned and had no intention of doing so. Barr then said President Donald Trump had fired him, while Trump publicly distanced himself from the decision. Berman later told Congress that Barr had repeatedly pressured him to resign and offered him other government jobs before threatening to fire him. The episode was especially explosive because SDNY was investigating several politically sensitive matters involving Trump associates, and because Berman had also publicly emphasized that the Epstein investigation remained active after Epstein’s death, including efforts to obtain cooperation from Prince Andrew.

That timing helped fuel allegations that Berman’s removal might have been intended, at least in part, to interfere with or contain the continuing Epstein investigation, although no conclusive evidence ever established that as the reason he was fired. The suspicion was intensified by Berman’s later account that his office had been aggressively pursuing Prince Andrew and that efforts to compel Andrew’s cooperation through diplomatic channels went nowhere, leading Berman to openly wonder whether someone in Britain was protecting him. Berman also later alleged that Barr viewed the Epstein matter as something that could be used in dealings with the British government, adding still more controversy to an already extraordinary dismissal. What could be established was that Berman was removed while overseeing an office pursuing Epstein-related leads and other politically sensitive investigations, that Barr’s initial public account of Berman’s departure was contradicted by Berman himself, and that Berman resisted leaving until his deputy, Audrey Strauss, was guaranteed control of the office. Those facts were enough to make the firing look deeply suspicious to many observers, but the claim that Berman was specifically fired to protect Epstein associates remained an allegation rather than a proven conclusion.


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