WASHINGTON: A federal prosecutor resigned on Friday after reportedly facing pressure over investigations into two of Donald Trump’s political foes.
Erik Siebert, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, informed staff of his resignation via email according to multiple media reports.
The resignation came just hours after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he wanted Siebert out in response to a question about firing him.
Siebert had been under pressure to prosecute former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Leticia James.
The Times reported that some administration officials had actually argued for Siebert to keep his position despite the pressure.
Siebert recently told Justice Department leadership he was declining to prosecute Comey over allegations of lying to Congress.
He also determined there was insufficient evidence to charge James with mortgage fraud according to officials familiar with the matter.
Comey was fired while leading a probe into possible Trump campaign collusion with Moscow during the 2016 presidential election.
The former FBI director has remained a vocal critic of the Republican president since his dismissal.
James, as New York’s state prosecutor, brought a 464 million dollar case against Trump alleging unlawful wealth inflation.
She accused Trump and his company of manipulating property values to obtain favorable bank loans or insurance terms.
James has been accused by Trump ally Bill Pulte of falsifying documents on mortgage applications along with other Democratic officials.
When asked about the case against James on Friday, Trump said she looked guilty but he did not know for sure.
Siebert graduated from Virginia Military Institute and previously served as a Washington police officer.
He led a team of approximately 300 prosecutors in a jurisdiction that often handles major national security cases. – AFP
