Federal judges in Manhattan have appointed James M. McDonald to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, effective Wednesday following the resignation of his predecessor, Jay Clayton. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor and ex-partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, previously represented former President Donald Trump during the appeal of his criminal conviction.
McDonald’s appointment comes shortly after Clayton stepped down to assume his new role as director of national intelligence, a position for which he was confirmed on Tuesday. This marks the second judicial appointment to the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan during Trump’s second term; Clayton himself had been installed by the court after his interim designation by Trump expired last year.
The Manhattan district judges emphasized the necessity of a swift appointment to maintain continuity in the office amid a number of sensitive ongoing investigations. Notably, the Southern District is overseeing high-profile cases including the prosecution of Nicolás Maduro, the former Venezuelan president who was captured by U.S. forces earlier this year.
McDonald’s appointment appears to have proceeded without the typical friction associated with judicial appointments during the Trump administration. While other U.S. attorneys appointed by courts have faced dismissal by the Department of Justice, McDonald’s selection has been accepted by the administration. In contrast, this month the Justice Department moved to remove Roger Rogoff, a U.S. attorney selected by judges in western Washington, prompting a lawsuit alleging unconstitutional interference by the administration.
McDonald is well-regarded within legal circles and maintains close professional ties with Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general and former Southern District prosecutor who also represented Trump during criminal investigations. McDonald’s background includes clerking for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and participation in high-profile prosecutions such as that of Sheldon Silver, the ex-New York State Assembly speaker convicted of corruption.
During the first Trump administration, McDonald led the enforcement division at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, experience likely to be relevant as the Southern District advances several insider trading probes linked to emerging prediction markets regulated by the CFTC. After joining Sullivan & Cromwell in 2021, McDonald represented clients including Live Nation and Polymarket, both of which benefitted from favorable Justice Department outcomes following federal inquiry.
Earlier this month, McDonald returned to the U.S. attorney’s office as deputy U.S. attorney, the customary second-in-command role. He has recently been involved in a leak investigation regarding news reports about security vulnerabilities in an Air Force One jet gifted to Trump by Qatar. That inquiry prompted subpoenas to New York Times journalists, which were later withdrawn after judicial concerns about the legality of the subpoenas were raised.