President Donald Trump just notched a significant win as a panel of judges greenlit his pick, Jay Clayton, to stay on as interim US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
In a nutshell, Clayton, a Wall Street veteran and former SEC chairman, was approved on Monday to continue leading one of the nation’s most high-profile prosecutor’s offices despite lacking Senate confirmation.
This decision, announced by Southern District Executive Edward Friedland, comes after Clayton stepped into the role four months ago, bringing over two decades of experience from a top international law firm but no prior background as a prosecutor.
“I am honored to continue serving the people of New York,” Clayton declared, touting his commitment alongside the office’s dedicated staff.
Well, that’s a noble sentiment, but let’s be real—leading an office known for its fierce independence from Washington is no small feat, especially when Clayton has kept a surprisingly low profile amid swirling controversies.
His approval stands out as a victory for the Trump administration, especially since several other US attorney picks across the country have stumbled when seeking judges’ nods or Senate confirmation.
The Manhattan office Clayton now heads has been a hotbed of drama in recent months, with resignations rocking the boat after interim US Attorney Danielle Sassoon and others stepped down over refusing to drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.
Those charges were eventually dismissed after prosecutors from Washington intervened with a judicial request, but the episode left the office reeling from internal discord.
Adding to the chaos, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey was recently fired after managing key duties in the trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was acquitted of major charges like racketeering but remains jailed for lesser offenses.
Clayton himself was on hand during the Combs trial in Manhattan’s US court on May 19, 2025, a rare moment of visibility for a man steering clear of the limelight.
Meanwhile, the broader landscape of Trump’s US attorney appointments reveals a mixed bag—while Clayton secured his spot, the process typically hinges on Senate approval, which Democratic senators can stall, leaving appointees with a 120-day window before judges weigh in.
In other districts, judges have outright rejected Trump’s choices, like John A. Sarcone III in upstate New York, who was later named a special attorney to keep his role without the official title.
Over in New Jersey, federal judges snubbed former Trump defense attorney Alina Habba, opting for their interim pick, only for Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstall Habba as acting US attorney—a move now facing a legal challenge awaiting a Pennsylvania judge’s ruling.
Unlike Clayton’s quieter tenure, Sarcone and Habba have courted significant controversy, with Sarcone surviving a knife attack outside an Albany hotel by an unauthorized migrant, and Habba launching bold cases against a sitting congresswoman and probing New Jersey’s Democratic leadership over immigration enforcement policies.
Yet, as the Justice Department insists the president should have the final say on these roles, and with other Trump appointees like Bilal Essayli in Los Angeles and Sigal Chattah in Nevada holding their posts without formal approvals, Clayton’s steady—if untested—hand in New York offers a rare point of stability for an administration often battling on multiple fronts.