前副总统乔·拜登美国的竞选活动引起了人们的警觉唐纳德·特朗普总统s决定周五晚上解雇纽约南区的美国律师乔佛里·伯曼，他拒绝辞职。
“昨晚的新闻提出了更多关于特朗普政府法治的基本问题，也加剧了人们对司法部长的极度担忧，他似乎为了推进总统的政治利益而颠覆了自己寻求公正司法的职责，”竞选副经理兼宣传总监凯特·贝丁菲尔德(Kate Bedingfield)在对美国广播公司新闻的一份声明中表示。
知情人士告诉美国广播公司新闻，特朗普曾私下推动驱逐伯曼，并与亲密顾问讨论了数月。
伯曼被任命为前美国检察官的临时替代者Preet Bharara2018年，时任司法部长杰夫·赛辛斯并监督了几项政治敏感的调查，包括针对特朗普的前私人律师迈克尔·科恩的案件。
由于总统120多天没有提名他或任何其他永久替代者，地区法院任命伯曼担任这一职务，根据法律，他在该职位任职，直到空缺得到填补。
据接近他的消息人士称，伯曼一直都知道，他被一个最初怀疑他独立性的怀疑机构监视着，特朗普政府也因为几起涉及总统核心圈子成员的案件而监视着，包括对科恩的调查。
“今晚，我从司法部长的新闻稿中得知，我将‘辞去’美国司法部长一职。我没有辞职，也不打算辞职，”伯曼周五晚上在一份声明中说。
“当总统任命的提名人获得参议院批准后，我将辞职。在此之前，我们的调查将毫不拖延或中断地向前推进，”他继续说道。
其中一个已经进行了几个月的案件是对总统私人律师鲁迪·朱利安尼的商业活动的调查，在此之前，他的两个前助手——列夫·帕纳斯和伊戈尔·弗鲁曼——被指控违反竞选资金。
伯曼周六上班时出现，告诉媒体他没有什么可以进一步增加这种情况。
“我昨晚发表了声明。今天早上我没有什么要补充的。我只是来做我的工作，”伯曼周六早上走进办公室时说。
然而，周六晚些时候，伯曼表示，他将与美国副检察官奥黛丽·施特劳斯一起辞职，她现在被选定担任这个角色。
他在一份声明中表示:“鉴于司法部长巴尔决定尊重法律的正常运作，并让美国副检察官奥黛丽·施特劳斯(Audrey Strauss)成为美国代理检察官，我将离开美国检察官办公室，前往纽约南区，立即生效。”。“作为这个地区的联邦检察官和它引以为豪的遗产的保管人，这是我一生的荣幸，但是我离开这个地区的时候，没有比奥黛丽更好的人了。她是我有幸与之共事过的最聪明、最有原则、最有效率的律师。”
拜登竞选团队认为，特朗普或司法部长威廉·巴尔(William Barr)试图罢免伯曼将是“负责执法的部门的又一次违法行为。”
贝丁菲尔德在声明中写道:“政府必须为司法部长巴尔的司法部为了总统的个人和政治利益而做出的一连串不正常行为负责。”。
Biden campaign says firing of US attorney for Southern District of New York raises 'extraordinary concerns'
Former Vice PresidentJoe Biden’s campaign is raising alarms aboutPresident Donald Trump’sdecisionFriday night to fire U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffry Berman, who declined to step down.
"Last night's news raises yet more fundamental questions about the rule of law in the Trump Administration, and heightens extraordinary concerns about an attorney general who seems to subvert his duty to seek impartial justice in order to further the political interests of the president," Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said in a statement to ABC News.
Trump had been privately pushing for the ousting of Berman and has discussed it for months with close advisers, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Berman was named the interim replacement for former U.S. attorneyPreet Bhararain 2018 by then-Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions, and oversaw several politically sensitive investigations, including the case against Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Because the president failed to nominate him or any other permanent replacement for more than 120 days, the district court appointed Berman to the job, where by law he serves until the vacancy is filled.
According to sources close to him, Berman has always known he was being watched both by a skeptical office that initially doubted his independence, as well as the Trump administration due to several cases involving members of the president’s inner circle, including the investigation of Cohen.
"I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was 'stepping down' as United States Attorney. I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position," Berman said in a statement Friday night.
"I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate. Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption," he continued.
One of those cases, which has been underway for months, is the investigation into the president's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani’s business activities, after two of his former associates -- Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman -- were indicted on campaign finance violations.
Berman showed up at work Saturday, telling the press he had nothing further to add to the situation.
"I issued a statement last night. I have nothing to add to that this morning. I'm just here to do my job," Berman said Saturday morning entering the office.
However, later on Saturday, Berman said he would step down with Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss now chosen to fill the role.
"In light of Attorney General Barr’s decision to respect the normal operation of law and have Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss become Acting U.S. Attorney, I will be leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, effective immediately," he said in a statement. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this District’s U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy, but I could leave the District in no better hands than Audrey’s. She is the smartest, most principled, and effective lawyer with whom I have ever had the privilege of working."
The Biden campaign argued that attempts by Trump or Attorney General William Barr to remove Berman would be "yet another instance of lawless action by the very Department charged with enforcing the law."
"The Administration must be held to account for the rash of irregular actions taken by Attorney General Barr's Department of Justice for the president's personal and political benefit," Bedingfield wrote in the statement.
