NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Targets Trump With Bulldog Hire

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By Daniella Cheslow March 20, 2017

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stepped up his battle with the Trump Administration by hiring a top corruption prosecutor who used to work under former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reports that Howard Master will work on issues connected to the White House, and take on high-profile cases of public corruption. He successfully prosecuted New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for fraud, extortion and money laundering. He has also taken on mail-order drug companies for fraud.

President Donald Trump fired Bharara in early March in a group dismissal of 46 U.S. attorneys. Bharara was said to be investigating Fox News and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price at the time of his firing. Bharara had served for eight years and was known as an equal-opportunity crusader against corruption.

Schneiderman has a history of antagonizing Donald Trump. In 2013 the attorney general sued Trump and his for-profit Trump University for fraud. The case was settled shortly after the 2016 U.S. elections, with Trump agreeing to pay $25 million to students who claimed he misled them about teaching them his business strategies.

Since the election, Schneiderman has also challenged Trump’s executive orders on immigration and criticized the White House for rolling back protections for transgender students. The Journal reports the attorney general is also exploring possible suits against Trump for emoluments, or illegal accepting of payments from foreign governments.

Contact Daniella Cheslow at cheslow@forward.com.

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