The Indian American, who was fired by Trump from the position of US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will be an intriguing choice.
Former US Attorney Preet Bharara is one of the candidates being talked of as a potential replacement for Eric Schneiderman, who resigned from his position as the attorney general of New York on Monday, following allegations of physical abuse by four former romantic partners.
The New York State Legislature will name a new attorney general to serve the reminder of Schneiderman’s term. Given the majority that Democrats hold in both chambers of the legislature, it’s likely that a Democrat will be appointed as the interim attorney general.
The election for a new attorney general will take place on November 6.
Benjamin Landy, a senior news editor at the Vanity Fair’s blog The Hive, was one of the first to call on the state legislature to name Bharara as the interim AG. Even before Schneiderman’s resignation on Monday, Landy tweeted: “Eric Schneiderman should resign and the legislature should appoint @PreetBharara as NY Attorney Generalâ€
Indian American Bharara, who served as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 to early 2017, when President Trump fired him, will be an intriguing choice.
Crain’s New York Business reports that because of his clashes with the state legislature — he once called Albany a “cauldron of corruption†— there is “virtually no chance that the state Legislature would appoint†him as a successor to Schneiderman.
However, it pointed out that because of the Indian American’s “crusading style†and the “martyrdom at the hands†of Trump, he is a hero to liberals, which could make him a formidable candidate in the September primary if he decides to run.
The publication pointed out that Bharara could tap Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for whom he worked once, for fundraising contacts.
Bharara could also expect opposition from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with whom he had butted heads in the past.
Other likely candidates for the position, according to Politico, include New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, state Sen. Mike Gianaris, and former Cuomo aide Ben Lawsky.
Interestingly, on Monday, Bharara tweeted the New Yorker story, which resulted in Schneiderman’s resignation, as soon as it went live. He lauded one of the writers of the story, Ronan Farrow: “Once again @RonanFarrow exposes horrific conduct and holds the powerful accountable. Thank you Ronanâ€
By Tuesday, hash tag #Bharara4NYAG began appearing on Twitter.
1 Comment
Good. He will make a very good AG.