Prosecutor Preet Bharara was fired by the attorney general a day after he refused to return a phone call from President Trump, a report alleges.
An assistant to the president of the United States called Bharara’s office Thursday, saying the president wanted to talk, but Bharara refused citing Department of Justice rules, the New York Times
reported.
On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions notified all 46 federal prosecutors, who were appointed by President Obama and still active, to leave. Bharara was one of those asked to resign.
When Bharara got the call Thursday, he informed an aide to Sessions that he wouldn’t be able to talk to the president because of the rules. He then called Trump’s assistant to say the same.
It is unknown what Trump wanted to talk to Bharara about.
On Saturday, Bharara announced that he wouldn’t resign — despite the attorney general’s request. Within hours, he was fired.
“I did not resign. Moments ago I was fired. Being the US Attorney in SDNY will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life,” Bharara explained on Twitter.
The revelation of the phone call from Trump’s office to Bharara adds another wrinkle to a growing saga.
President Trump met with the federal prosecutor during the presidential transition and asked Bharara to stay on in his current role.