President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he plans to nominate James McDonald to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prominent federal prosecutor positions in the country.
Trump made the announcement on social media. McDonald is a partner at the law firm Sullivan and Cromwell and has a background that spans federal prosecution, financial regulation, and private litigation, according to ABC News.
"I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench," Trump said in a social media post.
The SDNY office responded to the announcement. "The Office welcomes the President's choice to lead the SDNY. Mr. McDonald is widely respected," a SDNY spokesperson said in a statement.
McDonald previously served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the same office and also worked at the Office of White House Counsel during the Bush administration. He clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. His background differs significantly from the outgoing U.S. Attorney, Jay Clayton, who came to the office with little experience in criminal law.
Trump moved to replace Clayton after tapping him to serve as the next director of national intelligence. That shift came after Trump's interim pick at that post caused problems with efforts to renew a key surveillance law.
McDonald was part of the legal team that represented Trump as he appealed his criminal hush money conviction in New York, a case that is still pending. He was also part of the team that represented Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who was indicted by the Justice Department in 2024 on conspiracy and fraud charges. In May, the Justice Department asked a judge to drop those charges.
McDonald previously served as director of enforcement at the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission. That background could be significant because the SDNY is currently prosecuting a former special forces soldier and Google employee for using inside information to make money on Polymarket, a prediction market platform.
Sources with knowledge of Trump's decision told ABC News that McDonald met with the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday, the day before Trump's announcement. If the Senate does not act quickly on his nomination, McDonald would need approval from the judges in the district, which covers Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County.
