Prosecutor Preet Bharara was fired by the attorney general a day after he refused to return a phone call from President Trump, a report alleges.
An assistant to the president of the United States called Bharara’s office Thursday, saying the president wanted to talk, but Bharara refused citing Department of Justice rules, the New York Times
reported.
On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions notified all 46 federal prosecutors, who were appointed by President Obama and still active, to leave. Bharara was one of those asked to resign.
When Bharara got the call Thursday, he informed an aide to Sessions that he wouldn’t be able to talk to the president because of the rules. He then called Trump’s assistant to say the same.
It is unknown what Trump wanted to talk to Bharara about.
On Saturday, Bharara announced that he wouldn’t resign — despite the attorney general’s request. Within hours, he was fired.
“I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired. Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life,” Bharara explained on Twitter.
The revelation of the phone call from Trump’s office to Bharara adds another wrinkle to a growing saga.
President Trump met with the federal prosecutor during the presidential transition and asked Bharara to stay on in his current role.
https://twitter.com/Gluna21/status/841301183742521345
https://twitter.com/PreetBharara/status/841000145630175232
https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/841019736519524353
OK THEN!
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/841008319233945602
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/840945553324281860
https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/840954540971053056
https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/840947002540085248
https://twitter.com/tommyxtopher/status/840986134696062979
https://twitter.com/funder/status/840892589385605120
https://twitter.com/RawStory/status/840771590040244224
https://twitter.com/dejbanlaw/status/840963145719922688
We are in the grip of something really, really bad. God only knows where this ends.
It’s too scary, Liza. And it seems there is no one to stop him.
Keep in mind this fool has the nuclear codes.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/840776181557448708
https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa/status/840653735084855296
https://twitter.com/IorettaIynch/status/840761660231041024
https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/840936344046170112
https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/840937125336010752
https://twitter.com/nycjim/status/840913103013453824
https://twitter.com/nycjim/status/840914852256337920
https://twitter.com/nycjim/status/840918738597761024