Bloomberg News
The interim Manhattan U.S. attorney, Geoffrey Berman, recused himself from his office’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, according to people familiar with the matter, leaving the highly sensitive probe in the hands of his deputy.
The deputy U.S. attorney, Robert Khuzami, whom Berman hired upon taking office in January, previously worked as a partner at law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP and led the enforcement division of the Securities and Exchange Commission during the Obama administration. He also spent 12 years as a Manhattan federal prosecutor, including as chief of the securities fraud unit.
It is unclear why Berman stepped back from the Cohen matter, but some legal experts have suggested that Berman’s involvement could have appeared improper, given his potential nomination by Trump to a permanent job in the post.
In 2016, Berman donated $2,700 to Trump’s presidential campaign, according to public records. Former federal prosecutors say it isn’t uncommon or considered improper for U.S. attorney candidates to have made political donations.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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