Geoff Berman
... When Trump and Barr sought to oust Berman, he was reportedly investigating Rudolph W. Giuliani, a Trump associate.
... On August 8, 2018, U.S. Representative Chris Collins (R-NY), his son Cameron, and the father of Cameron’s fiancée, Stephen Zarsky, were arrested by the FBI and charged with insider trading and making false statements by Berman. Following the charges, House Speaker Paul Ryan kicked Collins off of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Collins suspended his reelection campaign. Collins subsequently plead guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI and was sentenced to 26 months imprisonment.
... On November 26, 2018, Berman announced the indictment of former Honduran Congressman Tony Hernandez on drug trafficking and weapons charges. Tony Hernandez is the brother of Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez. On October 18, 2019, Tony Hernandez was convicted at trial.
... In April 2019, Berman brought the first ever drug trafficking charges against a pharmaceutical company and two of its executives, charging Rochester Drug Co-Operative and its former CEO, Laurence Doud III, with illegally conspiring to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl and conspiring to defraud the DEA. In announcing the charges, Berman said “This prosecution is the first of its kind: executives of a pharmaceutical distributor and the distributor itself have been charged with drug trafficking, trafficking the same drugs that are fueling the opioid epidemic that is ravaging our country. Our Office will do everything in its power to combat this epidemic, from street-level dealers to the executives who illegally distribute drugs from their boardrooms.”
... In July 2019, Berman charged financier Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Berman said at his press conference: "The alleged behavior shocks the conscience. And while the charged conduct is from a number of years ago, it is still profoundly important to the many alleged victims, now young women. They deserve their day in court, and we are proud to stand up for them in bringing this indictment.” Berman's prosecution resurfaced then-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's handling of Epstein's sex traffic case a decade earlier. On July 12, Acosta resigned amid pressure from the case.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell of an apparent suicide. Berman stated: "Today's events are disturbing, and we are deeply aware of their potential to present yet another hurdle to giving Epstein's many victims their day in Court. To those brave young women who have already come forward and to the many others who have yet to do so, let me reiterate that we remain committed to standing for you, and our investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment - which included a conspiracy count - remains ongoing."
On October 9, 2019, Berman announced charges against Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and two others for campaign violations relating to the illegal use of straw donors and foreign money. Berman said: "They sought political influence not only to advance their own financial interests but to advance the political interests of at least one foreign official - a Ukrainian government official who sought the dismissal of the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine". Berman said that the investigation is continuing.
... On April 30, 2020, Berman announced drug trafficking and weapons charges against Juan Carlos “The Tiger” Bonillo, the former head of the Honduras National Police. Berman stated that the indictment alleged that Bonillo conspired with convicted former Honduran congressman Tony Hernandez and his brother the president of Honduras.
On April 30, 2020, Berman announced a deferred prosecution agreement against Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank, for conspiring to hide assets and income in offshore accounts. Bank Hapoalim agreed to pay nearly $875 million. Berman said: “Israel’s largest bank, Bank Hapoalim, and its Swiss subsidiary have admitted not only failing to prevent but actively assisting U.S. customers to set up secret accounts, to shelter assets and income, and to evade taxes. The combined payment approaching $1 billion reflects the magnitude of the tax evasion by the Bank’s U.S. customers, the size of the fees the Bank collected to provide this illegal service, and the gravity of the illegal conduct.”
... On June 19, 2020, Attorney General William Barr announced that Berman would step down from his position. It was announced that President Trump intended to nominate Jay Clayton, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to take Berman's place as the Manhattan U.S. attorney and Barr said Trump, on his recommendation, appointed Craig Carpenito, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, to serve as the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York while the Senate takes up Clayton's nomination. However, Berman denies having resigned and states that he has "no intention of resigning." As Berman was appointed by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under 28 U.S.C. Section 546(d), it is unclear whether the Attorney General can remove Berman as US Attorney without a Senate-confirmed successor.
PINO and Barr are like a sick Abbott and Costello.