Full Breakdown
Trump Nominates James “Jamie” McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
6/21/2026, 12:09:44 PM
Nomination and Background
On June 17, 2026 President Donald Trump nominated James M. McDonald, a Sullivan & Cromwell partner, as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). The SDNY, famed for independent Wall Street and public-corruption prosecutions, has seen McDonald serve as an assistant U.S. attorney (2014-2017), clerk for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, and CFTC enforcement director during Trump’s first term. Since 2021 he co-heads securities and commodities investigations practice. Former SDNY prosecutor Carrie Cohen praised his “impeccable integrity.”
Recent Cases and Controversies
In May 2026 McDonald helped secure the Justice Department’s dismissal of a fraud and foreign-bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after a $10 billion U.S. investment proposal; Adani later settled related SEC and Treasury matters. He also aided the closure of a criminal probe into Southern Coal, a West Virginia mining firm owned by Sen. Jim Justice’s son, which a former DOJ official called “politically motivated.” McDonald represented Live Nation in an antitrust settlement, though a jury later found it liable for an illegal monopoly. Senator Warren warned, “I have serious concerns about a Trump loyalist who played a key role in the Adani dismissal serving in a critical U.S. Attorney role.”
Official Statements & Next Steps
Trump posted on Truth Social, “I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country.” Senators Warren and Blumenthal sent a letter to Acting AG Todd Blanche calling the Adani dismissal “transactional” and warning of a possible quid-pro quo. Sullivan & Cromwell said its partners “have devoted their careers…to rigorous legal argument and factual analysis.” CFTC director Chris Giancarlo called McDonald “strong, but fair.” The Senate must now consider McDonald’s nomination, which also determines when Jay Clayton can assume the intelligence-director role.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He has a great respect for the office and the office has a great respect for him based on his service in the office, his work with the office when he was head of CFTC [enforcement], and more recently on the other side as a defense lawyer,” — Carrie Cohen, former SDNY prosecutor
- “He’s as good and as smart as they come. I like him very much,” — Preet Bharara, former SDNY U.S. attorney
- “I may not be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Jamie, approved, and I don't want to take Jay Clayton away from the great job he is doing until Jamie is in place” — Donald Trump, President of the United States
- “Jay, understanding that you’re not going to be able to comment on particular cases,” — James “Jamie” McDonald, intervening at a New York City Bar Association event
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Adani dismissal lacked signatures from the career prosecutors who filed it, and the Southern Coal probe was closed before full fact-finding, leaving the DOJ’s rationale unclear.
