President Donald Trump revealed Saturday his intention to appoint James M. McDonald as the federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, filling the position left vacant by Jay Clayton, whom Trump selected earlier this week to head national intelligence.
McDonald previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and currently works as a litigation partner with Sullivan & Cromwell law firm. He also represented Trump personally, taking on the appeal of the former president’s Manhattan hush money case, which remains unresolved.
Trump faced conviction on 34 felony charges related to hiding a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Should McDonald receive confirmation as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, he would lead one of the Justice Department’s most influential offices, handling cases that span from terrorism and espionage to securities fraud and government corruption.
Last month, McDonald was among the attorneys who achieved a positive result for Indian businessman Gautam Adani after the Trump administration’s Justice Department dismissed fraud and conspiracy charges that were filed during the Biden presidency.
During Trump’s initial presidency, McDonald held the enforcement director position at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and previously worked as deputy associate counsel in the White House under President George W. Bush.
“I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country,” Trump wrote about McDonald’s selection on Truth Social Saturday afternoon.
Clayton’s appointment followed mounting congressional pressure to select a permanent successor for Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down as ODNI director last month. Trump encountered significant criticism for choosing Bill Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as interim director.
