President Donald Trump announced on June 13 he will nominate James M. McDonald as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), a key federal prosecutor's office known for handling high-profile cases including those involving Trump himself [1, 2, 3].
McDonald currently serves as a litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and is part of Trump’s legal team managing the appeal of his 34-count felony conviction in New York related to falsifying business records and $130,000 hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels [1, 2, 3]. Trump expressed confidence in McDonald’s capabilities, calling him "a former Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and served as Director of Enforcement at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission during my First Term" and added, "I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York" [1, 2].
McDonald worked as an Assistant US Attorney at SDNY for three years and spent almost four years as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) [1, 2, 3]. He also clerked for US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts early in his career [1, 2]. Recently, McDonald was part of a legal team that secured a favorable outcome when the Justice Department dropped a fraud case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani [3]. McDonald may have to recuse himself from investigations involving some of his former clients [1].
McDonald would succeed Jay Clayton, who Trump nominated less than two weeks ago to be US Director of National Intelligence following congressional backlash over an interim intelligence appointee [1, 2, 3]. Clayton will remain head of SDNY during his Senate confirmation process. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a hearing on Clayton’s nomination for next week [1].
The Southern District of New York is widely regarded as one of the most independent and high-profile federal prosecutor offices. It has recently brought cases against prominent figures such as former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro [1, 2].
The nomination comes as Trump continues legal battles related to his convictions and appeals. The confirmation process for McDonald will follow Clayton’s, with Senate hearings expected in the coming weeks.
