Trump on firing of Geoffrey Berman: 'I'm not involved'

[pnwmom]

Source: CNN

Attorney General Bill Barr said in a letter Saturday that President Donald Trump had fired Geoffrey Berman, the powerful prosecutor atop the Manhattan US Attorney's office who has investigated Trump's allies, after Berman refused Barr's effort a day prior to oust him.

"Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service," Barr said in his letter to Berman. "Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so."

But Trump said Saturday he wasn't involved with the decision.

"Well, that's all up to the attorney general. Attorney General Barr is working on that," Trump said on the South Lawn ahead of his departure for his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "That's his department, not my department. But we have a very capable attorney general so that's really up to him. I'm not involved."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/trump-fires-berman-barr-says/index.html

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Link to tweet

From Business Insider:

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-not-involved-sdny-geoffrey-berman-barr-firing-2020-6

"I'm not involved," the president told reporters, adding that the decision was up to Attorney General William Barr.

Trump's statement came minutes after Barr told Berman in a letter that Trump had fired him at the attorney general's request. The president's comment was the latest twist after Barr abruptly announced late Friday that Berman would be "stepping down" from his role as the acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Berman said Friday night that he learned of his apparent intent to step down from Barr's announcement and had no knowledge of the decision beforehand.

[Iliyah]

1. This is sick . .

[Raven123]

2. If Barr said Trump fired Berman and Trump denied it, Berman hasn't been fired.

[riversedge]

4. So, is Barr lyingor is Trump lying??

[leftieNanner]

8. I'm gonna go with Barr on this one

Trump is a prodigious liar, to be sure, but it's usually effective when he's trying to cover his ample ass. Lying here is the opposite.

And isn't it wonderful?!!!

[Midnightwalk]

21. Both of course nt

[cstanleytech]

23. The real question is what are they trying to cover up?

[The Wielding Truth]

25. Crooked SOB's!

[spike jones]

17. Trump would like nothing better than to fired him from the stage today.

You're fired! would be a big event there.

[Brainfodder]

3. Lie #1x,xxx?

He's stupid, toxic, and shouldn't be President.

[Cirque du So-What]

5. rump can't control his own Roy Cohn? What a weakling!

Rump wants it both ways, but he can’t get rid of this meddlesome priest without getting his hands at least slightly bloody. I hope he gets pilloried for this blatantly obstructionist action.

[Eliot Rosewater]

6. WE live in fascist state now so he can say what he wants, we can call him on it but doesnt

matter.

If he wants you out of the way, you will be out of the way.

I am saying this because did NOT have to happen, still waiting for apologies from the "nose holders."

[tulipsandroses]

7. So does that mean Berman is not fired? I thought I heard on MSNBC that Barr did not have

the authority to fire Berman, hence he went to Trump when Berman refused to step down. Not sure how accurate what MSNBC said is So if Trump is saying he had nothing to do with it, then does that mean Berman is not fired? What a clusterfuck!

[Delphinus]

9. This CANNOT

be allowed to stand!! This is akin to the Saturday Night Massacre that happened under Nixon, isn't it?

[OnDoutside]

10. We need Adam Schiff to quickly get to a microphone to say that IF

Trump had fired Berman, he would be investigated for Obstruction of Justice, to put the wind up him at the least.

[stillcool]

11. He never fires anyone...himself..

always has someone do it for him. Barr cleans up, but always leaves a bit of a stain.

[scarletwoman]

12. My understanding, from what I've read, is that Barr doesn't have the legal authority to fire Berman,

only the president does.

So, if the president is saying that he, himself, has not fired Berman, then Berman isn't actually fired.

I hope Berman continues to refuse to step down!

[bluestarone]

13. We have very smart people HERE on DU! Now please some of you chime in here

I'm really upset and others are as well. Please someone here say if Either RUMP or Barr can fire him? I really really hope and pray NEITHER of them have authority to do it! Could THIS go all the way to the SC?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. They can't even keep their lies straight. Quelle surprise! . . . nt

[Wellstone ruled]

15. So Mr.Berman

was about to go to the Grand Juries rampantly. Just waiting for Cuomo to open up NYC.

These friggin people really thing the Public is that stupid,and folks would not figure out that some major Barr/Trump/Giuilani money laundry deal with China could be hide.

[vapor2]

16. Well, fuck barr and fuck trump

5 Inspectors general fired in the past few months and now Berman. They are removing anyone and everyone who can hold trump accountable for his crimes. I am fucking sick of their lies, their deceit, their corruption. SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP THIS NONSENSE.

[beastie boy]

18. Trump proactively throwing Barr under the bus.

Just in case shit hits the fan, which seems to be quite likely.

[paleotn]

19. If no one fired him....

he ain't fired.

[jayschool2013]

20. If a tree falls in the woods

If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody chopped it down, is it still standing?

[sarge43]

22. We know. You don't take responsibility.

However, you have been known to tell a wee fib on occasion.

[Midnightwalk]

24. Timeline (rough)

June 19. Attorney General Barr announces that Berman has resigned and that Jay Clayton, who has no prosecutorial experience, will be nominated as his replacement. U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Craig Carpenito, will be the temporary replacement.

June 19. Berman denies that he has resigned. Berman says:

I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption."

June 20. Attorney General Barr announces that Barr chose making "public spectacle over public service" so he asked Trump to fire him and that Trump did. The only public spectacle was Berman showed up Barr as a liar for saying he had resigned.

June 20. Trump says "I didn't fire Berman, that's up to Barr". That is a lie (maybe not proven yet), but leaves plenty of room. I expect an announcement later today if not tomorrow that Trump acted on Barr's advice to fire Berman.

Many including me are wondering who has authority to fire Berman. From The NY Times:

No definitive and settled Supreme Court precedent exists to look to for guidance, and federal statutes appear to conflict on the question. That sets up the possibility of a protracted fight in court if Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, continues to resist after Mr. Barr told him on Saturday that the president had fired him.

Mr. Trump further confused matters by then telling reporters that he was “not involved” in Mr. Berman’s firing and that it was up to Mr. Barr. But legal experts pointed to a 1979 Justice Department opinion to suggest that the ultimate result of any courtroom confrontation is likely to be that Mr. Trump — though not Mr. Barr — does have the authority to fire Mr. Berman.

“It’s probably the case that Trump, but not Barr, would have to remove Berman and take the political responsibility for doing so,” said Martin S. Lederman, a Georgetown University law professor who served in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in the Obama administration.

[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/us/politics/geoff-berman-who-can-fire.html|]

What a shit show. This is pay back from Trump for Berman going after Michael Cohen, and to interfere with Grand Juries that have been on hold because of the virus.

[Doug.Goodall]

26. Trump is not involved until he tweets the announcement of Berman's firing.

It is not official until Trump puts it on Twitter since that is the documented record of his Presidency.