US Attorney Geoffrey Berman steps down, ends tug of war with AG William Barr

US Attorney Geoffrey Berman steps down, ends tug of war with AG William Barr | 20 June 2020 | Geoffrey Berman on Saturday night agreed to step down as one of the nation’s most powerful U.S. Attorneys, ending a day-long power tug-of-war that stretched from his Manhattan headquarters to the White House and Justice Department in Washington. In a statement issued at 6 p.m., Berman said he would leave immediately, and turn control of the office over to his Deputy U.S. Attorney, Audrey Strauss. Berman credited his decision -- which came after a day of refusing to step down -- to Attorney General William Barr backtracking on his original demand that his successor be attorney and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton.