Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that his resignation on November 25, 2024, ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Williams, appointed by President Biden in 2021, will step down on December 13. His deputy, Edward Kim, will serve as acting U.S. attorney. The move comes as Trump plans to nominate Jay Clayton, former SEC chair, to lead the office, which will require Senate confirmation.
Williams took center stage in the music industry when his office lead an indictment against Bad Boy CEO Sean P. Diddy Combs back in September on sex trafficking charges who is currently being held in a Brooklyn detention center awaiting trial next May.
During his tenure, Williams also secured high-profile convictions, including those of crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years for one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, and Archegos Capital’s founder Bill Hwang, sentenced to 18 years for market manipulation. He also secured the conviction of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on corruption charges and brought bribery charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
Williams, who iso Jamaican heritage, is the first Black person to hold the post and his deciton to step aside avoids the potential fate of former U.S. Attorneys Preet Bharara and Geoffrey Berman, who were ousted by Trump. Despite tensions with the Trump administration, Williams praised the independence and excellence of his office, asserting that the office would continue to function at a high level under career prosecutors.
