Report: Trump’s Private Lawyer Said He Played A Role In Preet Bharara’s Firing
- 7 years ago
One of President Trump’s lawyers has reportedly told associates that he helped persuade the president to fire a high-profile U.S. attorney.
One of President Trump’s lawyers has reportedly told associates that he helped persuade the president to fire a high-profile U.S. attorney.
According to ProPublica, Marc Kasowitz, who is helping Trump navigate the Russia investigation, “has boasted to friends and colleagues that he played a central role in the firing of Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to four people familiar with the conversations.”
Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign, notes CNN.
While many Obama-era appointees in the Justice Department were asked to leave, Kasowitz is said to have singled Bharara out in advance, telling the president, “This guy is going to get you.”
While the reason for this warning is unknown, Bharara has since been speaking out publicly about his interactions with Trump before he was fired.
During a recent interview on ABC News’ 'This Week' the ex-prosecutor noted that the president had called him three times, saying, “They were very unusual phone calls. When I’ve been reading the stories about how the president has been contacting [former FBI Director] Jim Comey over time, it felt a little bit like déjà vu.”
Bharara also revealed that he declined to connect on one of the calls and then reported the matter to the Attorney General’s office with the concern that it seemed as though Trump “was trying to cultivate some kind of relationship.”
Aside from his alleged role in getting Bharara fired, Kasowitz is attracting controversy for his apparent influence on the administration even though he is not a federal employee.
According to a recent New York Times report, “His visits to the White House have raised questions about the blurry line between public and private interests for a president facing legal issues.”
One of President Trump’s lawyers has reportedly told associates that he helped persuade the president to fire a high-profile U.S. attorney.
According to ProPublica, Marc Kasowitz, who is helping Trump navigate the Russia investigation, “has boasted to friends and colleagues that he played a central role in the firing of Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to four people familiar with the conversations.”
Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign, notes CNN.
While many Obama-era appointees in the Justice Department were asked to leave, Kasowitz is said to have singled Bharara out in advance, telling the president, “This guy is going to get you.”
While the reason for this warning is unknown, Bharara has since been speaking out publicly about his interactions with Trump before he was fired.
During a recent interview on ABC News’ 'This Week' the ex-prosecutor noted that the president had called him three times, saying, “They were very unusual phone calls. When I’ve been reading the stories about how the president has been contacting [former FBI Director] Jim Comey over time, it felt a little bit like déjà vu.”
Bharara also revealed that he declined to connect on one of the calls and then reported the matter to the Attorney General’s office with the concern that it seemed as though Trump “was trying to cultivate some kind of relationship.”
Aside from his alleged role in getting Bharara fired, Kasowitz is attracting controversy for his apparent influence on the administration even though he is not a federal employee.
According to a recent New York Times report, “His visits to the White House have raised questions about the blurry line between public and private interests for a president facing legal issues.”