US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed he had “fired” a federal prosecutor who resigned this week, following reports that the attorney had resisted pressure to pursue cases against two of the president’s political foes.
Erik Siebert, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, informed his staff of his resignation by email on Friday, according to reports by the New York Times and other US outlets.
The Times said Siebert had been urged to bring charges against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James—both long-time adversaries of Trump—but had declined.
Trump: “He didn’t quit, I fired him”
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote:
“Today I withdrew the nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators from Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him!”
Speaking earlier in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters: “I want him out.”
Prosecutor resisted political cases
According to officials cited by the Washington Post, Siebert had recently told Justice Department leadership that he would not prosecute Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and found insufficient evidence to charge Letitia James with mortgage fraud.
Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017 while investigating possible Russian links to his campaign, has since become one of the president’s most vocal critics.
James, meanwhile, secured a $464 million civil judgment against Trump earlier this year, accusing him of fraudulently inflating his net worth to secure favorable bank loans and insurance deals.
She has also been accused by Trump allies, including Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, of falsifying mortgage documents—a claim Siebert reportedly declined to pursue.
Asked on Friday about James, Trump said: “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”
A high-profile post
Siebert, a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and a former Washington police officer, oversaw about 300 prosecutors in one of the nation’s most important federal jurisdictions, which frequently handles national security and terrorism cases.
His departure highlights renewed tensions between Trump and federal prosecutors amid ongoing legal battles involving the president and his allies.
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