- Trump fires Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, contradicting rumors of resignation.
- Siebert faced pressure to prosecute James Comey and Letitia James but chose not to pursue charges due to insufficient evidence.
- In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “He didn’t quit, I fired him!”
The United State President, Donald Trump has announce on Saturday that he fired a federal prosecutor, Erik Siebert as opposed to the rumour of his resignation.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Erik Siebert who was a US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, had told staff via mail of his resignation.
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Siebert had been under pressure to prosecute two of Trump’s political adversaries, former FBI director James Comey whom Trump fired in 2017 and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Times reported.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump explained, “Today, I withdrew the nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after learning that he had received unusually strong support from two Democratic Senators from Virginia.” He went on to add, “He didn’t quit, I fired him!”
Trump’s statement came shortly after he told reporters in the Oval Office, “I want him out,” signaling his dissatisfaction with Siebert’s actions.
The prosecutor had reportedly informed the Justice Department that he would not pursue charges against Comey for alleged false statements to Congress, nor against James for a lack of evidence regarding mortgage fraud.
This decision is seen as a continuation of Trump’s efforts to distance himself from potential legal threats posed by his political opponents.
Comey, in particular, had been a vocal critic of Trump and had led investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
James, as New York’s state prosecutor, brought a $464 million case against Trump, alleging he and his company had unlawfully inflated his wealth and manipulated the value of properties to obtain favorable bank loans or insurance terms.
She, like several other Democratic officials, has been accused by a close Trump ally, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, of falsifying documents on mortgage applications.
Asked about the case against James on Friday, Trump said: “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”
Siebert, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and a former Washington police officer, led a team of approximately 300 prosecutors in a jurisdiction that often handles major cases related to national security.
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