Trump nominates ex-SEC chair Jay Clayton for Manhattan's chief prosecutor role

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday nominated

Jay Clayton

, a former US

Securities and Exchange Commission

Chairman, as his choice for Manhattan's chief federal prosecutor.
Clayton, who works at Sullivan & Cromwell specialising in mergers and capital-raising, has established himself as a politically independent figure. During his SEC tenure, he was known for seeking agreement with Democratic commissioners.
The spokesperson for the

Southern District of New York

's

US Attorney

's office offered no response when contacted.
The selection of Clayton appears unusual for this prestigious office, renowned for prosecuting significant

financial crimes

, given his lack of experience in

criminal law

.

In July 2020, during Trump's presidency, Clayton was temporarily nominated to succeed

Geoffrey Berman

as the Southern District of New York's US attorney. Berman was dismissed by Trump after refusing to leave his position.
During this period, Berman's office was conducting an investigation into Trump's former lawyer,

Rudolph Giuliani

.