The Indian American was one of the 46 Obama appointees asked by Trump to resign.
It’s been less than 24 hours since Preet Bharara lost his job, but the New York press has already started speculating about the Indian American’s next gig.
New York Daily News columnist Kenneth Lovett writes that the Indian American could possibly launch his career in New York politics, just as some of his predecessors did.
On Friday, President Donald Trump asked Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, to tender resignation, along with all the remaining Obama-appointed US attorneys — 46 in all.
And the job Bharara might be coveting?
The New York City mayor’s could be one.
And the New York governor’s could be another.
Current Mayor Bill de Blasio is up for re-election this November, while Gov. Mario Cuomo is facing re-election next year.
Preet Bharara accepts Donald Trump’s request to stay on as US attorney in New York after Trump Tower meeting (December 1, 2016)
Lovett writes that “Bharara has long denied an interest in running for public office, but few in New York’s political circles actually believe that.”
If Bharara launches a primary run against either de Blasio, or Cuomo, there will be an interesting side story to the campaign. He has two investigations currently ongoing against the two potential rivals: one into de Blasio’s campaign fundraising and the other a bid-rigging case against two Cuomo allies.
If at all he jumps into the fray, Bharara will start as an underdog, especially in the money race. According to the News, Cuomo has a $22 million war chest. Being an incumbent, de Blasio will start with a fundraising advantage against most candidates.
In the past, a number of Manhattan attorneys have used the job as a stepping stone for mayor’s and governor’s job. That list includes Cuomo himself, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Bharara’s dismissal on Friday was a bit of a surprise because, in December, prior to the inauguration, he had met with Trump, who asked him to stay on.
“The president-elect asked, presumably because he’s a New Yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done over the past seven years, asked to meet with me to discuss whether or not I’d be prepared to stay on as the United States attorney to do works as we have done it, independently, without fear or favor for the last seven years,” Bharara told reporters after that meeting.