President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), replacing Jay Clayton, who was recently nominated as director of national intelligence. McDonald, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the SDNY and current litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, has also served as a personal attorney to Trump, handling the appeal of his Manhattan hush money conviction. The conviction, which is still pending, involves 34 felony counts related to a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
If confirmed, McDonald would lead one of the most prestigious federal prosecution offices, overseeing cases involving terrorism, espionage, securities fraud, and public corruption. He was part of the legal team that secured the dismissal of a fraud and conspiracy case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, which the Trump administration dropped after it was filed under the Biden administration. McDonald previously served as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump’s first term and as deputy associate counsel in the White House under George W. Bush.
Trump praised McDonald on Truth Social, stating, 'I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country.' Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, welcomed the nomination, calling McDonald 'widely respected.' The nomination comes amid pressure from Congress to fill the role permanently after Tulsi Gabbard resigned as national intelligence director last month.