Trump Names James McDonald U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York

President Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to appoint James McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, filling a pending vacancy after Trump tapped Jay Clayton to become director of national intelligence.

“James McDonald nominated to replace Jay Clayton as US Attorney for SDNY Former CFTC enforcement chief with deep crypto fraud experience tapped to lead the most powerful federal prosecutor's office in the country President Donald Trump has nominated James M”

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The Spokesman-Review reported that McDonald would replace Clayton, and that Trump nominated Clayton less than two weeks after a congressional backlash against his interim appointee, housing official Bill Pulte.

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Trump’s announcement came as pressure increased from Congress to name a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation as national intelligence director last month, and Trump had tapped Pulte after Gabbard’s resignation.

The Spokesman-Review said McDonald’s district includes Manhattan, and that he served as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for almost four years and also an assistant U.S. attorney at SDNY for three years.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said, “I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,” as The Spokesman-Review described.

Multiple outlets tied McDonald’s nomination to Trump’s own legal matters, with Fortune saying McDonald is part of the legal team handling Trump’s pending appeal of felony convictions in New York related to hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

Fortune also reported that Trump said Saturday he would name McDonald, currently a partner at the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm, to the role of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and that he would replace Jay Clayton, whom Trump has put forward as his pick for the director of national intelligence.

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The Spokesman-Review said the Senate intelligence committee plans to hold a hearing on Clayton’s nomination next week, while Fortune described McDonald’s perch as U.S. attorney as oversight of a “vast portfolio ranging from terrorism and espionage cases to security fraud and public corruption.”

Fortune quoted Nicholas Biase, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, saying it “welcomes the President’s choice to lead the SDNY. Mr. McDonald is widely respected.”

The Spokesman-Review described McDonald’s background as including service in the White House Counsel’s Office under President George W. Bush and as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

The nomination reshuffles leadership at SDNY as Clayton, who Trump nominated as director of national intelligence, will stay on as head of the Southern District office through his Senate confirmation process, according to a SDNY spokesperson cited by The Spokesman-Review.

“The Manhattan US attorney is considered one of the most powerful prosecutors in the country”

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The Spokesman-Review said McDonald would be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in the powerful prosecutorial role, and it described the SDNY office as handling many of the most high-profile cases involving Wall Street.

Fortune framed the SDNY post as one of the most influential positions in the Justice Department, and it said McDonald’s appointment would give him oversight of cases spanning “terrorism and espionage cases to security fraud and public corruption.”

The Spokesman-Review reported that under Clayton’s leadership, his office brought cases against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the founders of First Brands and Tricolor, while maintaining close ties with Trump.

Fortune said Trump’s announcement on Clayton came as pressure increased from Congress to name a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, and it described Trump facing pushback over his decision to name Bill Pulte as acting director.