President-elect Donald Trump has announced his pick to lead the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York — the same office that's prosecuting Mayor Eric Adams on corruption charges.
Trump said he'll nominate Jay Clayton of New York, who served as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during his first first term. Damian Williams, the current head of the office, hasn't yet announced his own plans.
It's unclear what the selection will mean for the SDNY's indictment accusing the mayor of taking campaign contributions and lavish gifts from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors. Trump has said he was skeptical of the indictment and accused federal authorities of going after Adams because he criticized the Biden administration's border policies, as tens of thousands of migrants streamed into the city.
“They went after you, mayor,” Trump said to Adams at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation dinner in October. “But you're going to win."
Before and after his stint at the SEC, Clayton worked at the law firm Sullivan and Cromwell, according to the firm's website and a statement issued by Trump Thursday. He holds multiple degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Cambridge. Clayton is also an adjunct professor at Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, from which Trump graduated in 1968.
Trump, in his statement, said Clayton, "is a highly respected business leader, counsel and public servant."
Clayton is the latest New York state figure Trump has named to join his administration. He said he’ll nominate Lee Zeldin, a former Long Island member of Congress who lost as the Republican candidate in the 2022 gubernatorial race against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And Trump plans to nominate upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
All of those positions require U.S. Senate confirmation.
Clayton did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Gothamist.
