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United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Chief federal law enforcement officer in eight New York counties From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight contiguous New York counties: the counties (coextensive boroughs of New York City) of New York (Manhattan) and Bronx, and the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the office represents the United States government in criminal and civil cases across the country. The SDNY handles a broad array of cases, including but not limited to those involving white collar crime, domestic terrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, and civil rights disputes.

FormedSeptember 24, 1789 (1789-09-24) by the Judiciary Act of 1789
JurisdictionSouthern District of New York
Headquarters
Department executive
Quick facts Department overview, Formed ...
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
Location in Civic Center, Manhattan (2026)
Department overview
FormedSeptember 24, 1789 (1789-09-24) by the Judiciary Act of 1789
JurisdictionSouthern District of New York
Headquarters
Department executive
Parent Department
United States Department of Justice
Websitejustice.gov/usao-sdny
Map
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Southern District of New York
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The Southern District has earned itself the moniker the "Sovereign District of New York".[1][2] Its resources, culture, and accompanying FBI field office have given the SDNY a reputation for being exceptionally aggressive in its pursuit of criminals.[3][4] Due to its jurisdiction over the New York City borough of Manhattan, the preeminent financial center of the United States of America, the office's incumbent is often nicknamed the "Sheriff of Wall Street".[5]

Organization

The office is organized into two divisions handling civil and criminal matters. The Southern District of New York also has two offices: in Manhattan and White Plains. The office employs approximately 220 assistant U.S. attorneys.[6]

List of U.S. attorneys

In 1814, the District of New York was divided into the Northern and the Southern District.[7]

More information Term, U.S. Attorney ...
Term U.S. Attorney Party Appointed by
1 April 1815
–
July 1819		 Jonathan Fisk Democratic-Republican James Madison
2 July 1819
–
February 1828		 Robert L. Tillotson Democratic-Republican James Monroe
3 February 1828
–

April 1829

 John Duer Democratic-Republican John Quincy Adams
4 April 1829
–

April 1834

 James A. Hamilton Democratic Andrew Jackson
5 April 1834
–

December 10, 1838

 William M. Price Democratic
6 December 1838
–

March 1841

 Benjamin F. Butler Democratic Martin Van Buren
7 March 1841
–

March 1845

 Ogden Hoffman Whig William Henry Harrison
8 March 1845
–

September 1848

 Benjamin F. Butler Democratic James Polk
9 September 1848
–

December 1848

 Charles McVean Democratic
10 January 1849
–
April 1849		 Lorenzo B. Shepard Democratic
11 April 1849
–
March 1853		 Jonathan Prescott Hall Whig Zachary Taylor
12 April 1853
–
June 1854		 Charles O'Conor Democratic Franklin Pierce
13 July 1854
–
January 1858		 John McKeon Democratic
14 January 1858
–
December 1859		 Theodore Sedgwick Democratic James Buchanan
15 December 1859
–
March 1861		 James I. Roosevelt Democratic
16 April 1861
–
April 1865		 Edward Delafield Smith Republican Abraham Lincoln
17 April 1865
–
April 12, 1866		 Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic
18 April 1866
–
April 25, 1869		 Samuel G. Courtney Democratic Andrew Johnson
19 April 25, 1869
–
July 20, 1870		 Edwards Pierrepont Republican Ulysses S. Grant
20 July 20, 1870
–
December 31, 1872		 Noah Davis Republican
21 December 31, 1872
–
January 24, 1877		 George Bliss Jr. Republican
22 January 24, 1877
–
March 12, 1883		 Stewart L. Woodford Republican
23 March 12, 1883
–
July 6, 1885		 Elihu Root Republican Chester A. Arthur
24 July 6, 1885
–
March 1, 1886		 William Dorsheimer Democratic Grover Cleveland
25 March 1, 1886
–
September 16, 1889		 Stephen A. Walker Democratic
26 September 16, 1889
–
February 1, 1894		 Edward Mitchell Republican Benjamin Harrison
February 1, 1894
–
July 23, 1894		 Henry C. Platt[a] Democratic Grover Cleveland
27 July 23, 1894
–
January 1898		 Wallace Macfarlane Democratic
28 January 1898
–
January 1906		 Henry Lawrence Burnett Republican William McKinley
29 January 1906
–
April 8, 1909		 Henry L. Stimson Republican Theodore Roosevelt
30 April 8, 1909
–
May 7, 1913		 Henry A. Wise Republican William Howard Taft
31 May 7, 1913
–
April 1917		 Hudson Snowden Marshall Democratic Woodrow Wilson
32 April 1917
–
June 1921		 Francis Gordon Caffey Democratic
33 June 1921
–
March 2, 1925		 William Hayward Republican Warren Harding
34 March 2, 1925
–
April 6, 1927		 Emory Buckner Republican Calvin Coolidge
35 April 6, 1927
–
September 29, 1930		 Charles H. Tuttle Republican
September 29, 1930
–
January 1931		 Robert E. Manley[b] Republican Herbert Hoover
36 January 1931
–
November 21, 1933		 George Z. Medalie Republican
November 22, 1933
–
December 26, 1933		 Thomas E. Dewey[c] Republican Franklin D. Roosevelt
37 December 26, 1933
–
May 16, 1935		 Martin Thomas Conboy Jr. Democratic
May 16, 1935
–
November 20, 1935		 Francis W. H. Adams[d] Democratic
38 November 20, 1935
–
December 1938		 Lamar Hardy Democratic
December 1938
–
March 1939		 Gregory Francis Noonan[e] Democratic
39 March 1939
–
March 1941		 John T. Cahill Democratic
40 March 1941[f]
–
June 10, 1943		 Mathias F. Correa Democratic
June 10, 1943
–
August 2, 1943		 Howard F. Corcoran[g] Democratic
41 August 2, 1943
–
October 9, 1944		 James B. M. McNally Democratic
42 October 9, 1944[h]
–
October 1949		 John F. X. McGohey Democratic
43 October 1949[i]
–

September 18, 1951

 Irving Saypol Democratic Harry S. Truman
44 September 18, 1951
–
April 1, 1953		 Myles J. Lane Democratic
45 April 1, 1953
–
July 11, 1955		 J. Edward Lumbard Republican[8] Dwight D. Eisenhower
July 11, 1955
–
September 1, 1955		 Lloyd F. MacMahon[j] Republican
46 September 1, 1955
–
July 9, 1958		 Paul W. Williams Republican
July 9, 1958
–
1959		 Arthur H. Christy[k] Republican
47 1959
–
January 31, 1961		 Samuel Hazard Gillespie Jr. Republican
January 31, 1961
–
April 18, 1961		 Morton S. Robson[l] Republican John F. Kennedy
48[m] April 18, 1961
–
January 16, 1970		 Robert Morgenthau Democratic
49 January 16, 1970
–
June 4, 1973		 Whitney North Seymour Jr. Republican Richard Nixon
50 June 4, 1973
–
October 31, 1975		 Paul J. Curran Republican
October 31, 1975
–
March 1, 1976		 Thomas J. Cahill[n] Republican Gerald Ford
51 March 1, 1976
–
March 2, 1980		 Robert B. Fiske Republican
March 3, 1980
–
May 21, 1980		 William M. Tendy[o] Republican Jimmy Carter
52 May 22, 1980
–
June 3, 1983		 John S. Martin Jr. Democratic
53 June 3, 1983
–
January 1, 1989		 Rudy Giuliani Republican Ronald Reagan
January 1, 1989
–
October 16, 1989		 Benito Romano[p] Republican George H. W. Bush
54 October 16, 1989
–
May 31, 1993		 Otto G. Obermaier Republican
55 June 1, 1993
–
January 7, 2002		 Mary Jo White Unaffiliated[9] Bill Clinton
56 January 7, 2002
–
December 15, 2003		 James Comey Republican[10] George W. Bush
December 15, 2003
–
September 6, 2005		 David N. Kelley[q] Democratic
57 September 6, 2005
–
December 1, 2008		 Michael J. Garcia Republican
December 1, 2008
–
August 13, 2009		 Lev Dassin[r] Unaffiliated
58 August 13, 2009
–
March 11, 2017		 Preet Bharara Democratic Barack Obama
March 11, 2017
–
January 5, 2018		 Joon Kim[s] [data missing] Donald Trump
January 5, 2018
–
June 20, 2020		 Geoffrey Berman[t] Republican
June 20, 2020
–
October 10, 2021		 Audrey Strauss[u] Democratic
59 October 10, 2021
–
December 13, 2024		 Damian Williams Democratic Joe Biden
December 13, 2024
–
January 20, 2025		 Edward Kim[v]
January 21, 2025
–
February 13, 2025		 Danielle Sassoon[w] Republican Donald Trump
February 13, 2025
-
April 16, 2025		 Matthew Podolsky[x]
April 16, 2025
-
July 29, 2026		 Jay Clayton[y] Independent
July 29, 2026
-
Present		 Jamie McDonald[z]
Close
  1. [a]
    Henry C. Platt served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  2. [b]
    Robert E. Manley served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  3. [c]
    Thomas E. Dewey served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  4. [d]
    Francis W. H. Adams served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  5. [e]
    Gregory Francis Noonan served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  6. [f]
    Correa served as Acting U.S. Attorney from March to July 1941 before official confirmation to the post.
  7. [g]
    Howard F. Corcoran served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  8. [h]
    McGohey served as Acting U.S. Attorney from October 9, 1944, to January 1945 before official confirmation to the post.
  9. [i]
    Saypol served as Acting U.S. Attorney from October 1949 to April 13, 1950, before official confirmation to the post.
  10. [j]
    Lloyd F. McMahon served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  11. [k]
    Arthur H. Christy served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  12. [l]
    Morton S. Robson served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  13. [m]
    From September 6 to November 20, 1962, Morgenthau resigned his position to run for Governor of New York. After he was defeated, John F. Kennedy re-appointed him as U.S. Attorney. In the interim, Vincent Lyons Broderick served as acting U.S. Attorney from September 5 to November 20, 1962.
  14. [n]
    Thomas J. Cahill served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  15. [o]
    William M. Tendy served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  16. [p]
    Benito Romano served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  17. [q]
    David N. Kelley served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  18. [r]
    Lev Dassin served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  19. [s]
    Joon Kim served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  20. [t]
    Geoffrey Berman served as Interim U.S. Attorney from January 5 to April 25, 2018[11][12] and as court-appointed U.S. Attorney from April 25, 2018, to June 20, 2020[13][14][15][16]
  21. [u]
    Audrey Strauss served as Acting U.S. Attorney from June 20, 2020, until she was court-appointed U.S. Attorney on January 16, 2021
  22. [v]
    Edward Kim served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  23. [w]
    Daniel Sassoon served as Interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  24. [x]
    Matthew Podolosky served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  25. [y]
    Jay Clayton served as Interim U.S. Attorney from April 16, 2025, until he was the court-appointed U.S. Attorney on August 19, 2025
  26. [z]
    Jamie McDonald was initially announced as the Interim U.S. Attorney, but took office as the court-appointed U.S. Attorney on July 29, 2026

Notable assistants

In popular culture

Television

The Showtime drama series Billions is loosely based on Preet Bharara's prosecution of SAC Capital and other hedge funds.[17]

The ABC legal drama For the People depicts new defense attorneys and prosecutors working in the Southern District of New York.

The 2020 Netflix series Fear City: New York vs The Mafia documents the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southern District of New York against the Five Families of the Italian American Mafia in the 1980s.

References

External links

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