U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination of a prosecutor who refused to investigate his "political opponent," New York Attorney General Letitia James.
On the 20th (local time), President Trump said on his social networking service Truth Social, "Today I withdrew the nomination of Eric Siebert, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia."
He then explained the reason for the withdrawal, saying it was "because I learned that (Siebert) received abnormally strong support from two absolutely terrible and despicable Democratic senators from Virginia."
According to Reuters, Siebert resigned on the 19th after being asked to resign by President Trump. However, President Trump stressed, "Siebert didn't resign; I fired him." He then sniped, "Next time, have him run as a Democrat, not a Republican."
Siebert had been serving as acting U.S. attorney since early this year and was awaiting Senate confirmation, and he investigated Letitia James on alleged dwellings mortgage fraud but did not indict her.
Attorney General James is considered a political opponent of President Trump. She has a record of engaging in several legal battles against President Trump and the Trump Organization.
President Trump has recently been using mortgages as a weapon to go after people hostile to him. Late last month, he fired Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, appointed by former President Joe Biden, on alleged mortgage fraud, and the Justice Department is applying similar allegations to investigate Attorney General James and California Sen. Adam Schiff. The claim is that they took out low-interest collateral loans available only for residential purposes when purchasing a home, then later rented out the home. Attorney General James has countered that there was only a mistake in paperwork.
Siebert reportedly also recently informed the Justice Department that he would not indict not only Attorney General James but also another of President Trump's political opponents, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, on perjury before Congress.
Comey investigated alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 presidential election, and after being fired during Trump's first administration, he has frequently criticized President Trump.