NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 18: Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks as U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland waits to address members of the Southern District on November 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jefferson Siegel-Pool/Getty Images)
The federal prosecutor who has overseen the cases involving the conviction of Sen. Robert Menendez and Sam Bankman-Fried, and the ongoing prosecutions of Mayor Eric Adams and rap artist Sean Combs aka P. Diddy, along with many other cases, is announcing his intention to resign as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York effective 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 13.
Damian Williams said following his anticipated resignation Ed Kim, currently his deputy, will take over the office as acting U.S. Attorney.
"Today is a bittersweet day for me, as I announce my resignation as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York," Williams said in a statement. "It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world. It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level – upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence."
President-elect Donald Trump has already announced he plans to nominate former SEC chair Jay Clayton for the U.S. attorney position in the Southern District of New York.
As Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, the U.S. attorney position is one of the most high-profile in the country.
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