Manhattan’s top U.S. prosecutor has decided to step down ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, marking the conclusion of his impressive four-year tenure.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York since 2021, has informed his close associates that he intends to leave SDNY before Trump assumes office, as reported by Bloomberg. Trump recently revealed his selection of Jay Clayton as Williams’ replacement. Clayton previously held the position of head of the Securities and Exchange Commission until 2020.
Williams, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in August 2021, made history as the first Black prosecutor to hold the position of SDNY U.S. Attorney. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force in the Southern District of New York.
With degrees from the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Yale Law School, Williams, a Brooklyn-native of Jamaican descent, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role.
Williams and his team fearlessly tackled prominent figures in both Wall Street and Hollywood. With Williams at the helm, federal prosecutors brought charges against well-known individuals, including billionaire FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Hwang.
Damian Williams didn’t just target Wall Street criminals; he also brought charges against Diddy and R. Kelly.
Williams successfully obtained convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking in the R. Kelly case, leading to the disgraced singer receiving a 20-year federal prison sentence. It was determined that one year of this sentence would be served consecutively to the 30-year sentence he had already received in the Eastern District of New York.
In March, federal authorities conducted a raid on Diddy’s homes, led by Williams. This action came just months after the music mogul faced a lawsuit from Cassie, accusing him of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Reports indicate that Homeland Security Investigations, known for their expertise in human trafficking cases, were responsible for carrying out the raids on Diddy’s residences in Los Angeles and Miami.
Williams and the Southern District of New York were part of the federal indictment against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, as reported by the New York Times. Adams is currently facing five federal charges, including bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. These charges stem from his time as a top elected official in Brooklyn and have continued since he became mayor.
During his tenure in the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams ensured that the law was upheld to a specific standard. However, the future remains uncertain for Williams and his career prospects following his time in office. What is clear, though, is that the standard he upheld may no longer hold under a Trump presidency.
