Trump’s US Attorney Must Deliver Justice to NYC in Just 120 Days

When President Trump appointed former SEC Chair Jay Clayton as the US attorney for the Southern District of New York last month — a pivotal prosecutor’s office outside Washington — Sen. Chuck Schumer swiftly sought to block the nomination.

By withholding his “blue slip,” Schumer utilized his traditional veto over federal nominees, asserting that Clayton poses a threat to the rule of law, likely to use his office’s powers as “weapons against [Trump’s] perceived adversaries.”

Trump, however, proceeded to appoint Clayton on an interim basis — allowing him 120 days to prove his critics wrong.

That timeframe is brief in government, and the clock is ticking: As of Friday, Clayton has only 97 days left.

Yet Trump has already set his agenda: restore law and order, eradicate corruption, and refocus the Justice Department on American safety.

With these guiding principles, Clayton has the potential to turn SDNY into a national benchmark for federal prosecution — assertive on violent crime, relentless toward fraud, and unapologetic in upholding the rule of law.

Many anticipate Clayton’s focus to be on white-collar financial offenses, given his background.

However, as a lifelong New Yorker, Clayton has witnessed the disturbing rise in violent crime firsthand.

In New York City, felony assault charges against repeat offenders have surged — up 146.5% over six years, largely due to lenient Democratic policies at all levels of government.

Major crime has risen by 30% since the pandemic. In East Harlem, a gang conflict led to 21 shootings within just six months. Violent gangs are not only returning but expanding in our neighborhoods.

To dismantle these gangs and cartels, Clayton’s SDNY should establish a specialized gang and narcotics unit to utilize federal RICO statutes in targeting gang leaders — rather than just their street-level operatives.

Cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security, SDNY can identify, disrupt, and eradicate cartel supply chains before lethal drugs reach our streets.

Addressing illegal firearms should also be a top priority.

Despite New York’s strictest-in-the-nation gun laws, weapons continue to flood into the city with dangerous efficiency.

From 2017 to 2023, 93% of firearms recovered at NYC crime scenes were traced back to out-of-state sources — three times the national average.

For prompt results, Clayton should implement monthly citywide gun sweeps similar to the coordinated drug operations of the 1990s — subsequently pursuing federal firearms trafficking charges under the Gun Control Act, aiming for mandatory minimum sentences for those caught supplying criminals.

We must treat smugglers and suppliers as what they truly are: accomplices to violence.

Most importantly, SDNY can strive to eliminate the abhorrent crime of human trafficking in New York City.

Last year, a teenager was abducted at gunpoint in Times Square and forced into sex work.

In 2024 alone, city agencies identified 843 children as either trafficked or at imminent risk of being trafficked.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline now indicates that New York has more trafficking cases than all but three states.

Many more horrors unfold in the shadows, unreported.

Traffickers must face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law — no deals, no leniency.

Utilize every available intelligence tool to track down trafficking networks before another child disappears into the darkness.

Safer streets mean little if we can be victimized online by anyone.

Last year, Americans lost over $12.5 billion to financial fraud — much of which was orchestrated here.

New York is the epicenter of Ponzi schemes, crypto fraud, pump-and-dump schemes, and intricate cybercrimes such as business email compromise attacks.

These are not victimless crimes; they constitute economic assault.

A specialized task force within SDNY can ensure that New York City does not become a refuge for fraudsters.

Identify those who exploit the elderly and vulnerable, and ensure they face the most severe consequences under federal law.

Ultimately, Clayton’s most significant legacy may not be the cases he prosecutes, but the culture he cultivates.

SDNY has long been perceived as merely a prestigious label for the elite.

It’s time to halt the revolving doors from Ivy League to clerkship, to Big Law, and back again.

To rise to this occasion, we need prosecutors with determination, judgment, and moral clarity in the courtroom.

Individuals who can assert, “I represent the United States of America” — and genuinely mean it.

Clayton may not win over every critic by summer’s end, but his nomination should center on the needs of the people of New York, rather than political games.

And while Schumer’s procedural maneuvering might rack up political points in Washington, it does nothing to enhance our safety.

This roadmap provides Clayton with an opportunity to restore justice at SDNY — and to gain enough public support to continue leading it.

Orin Snyder is a senior partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, having served as an assistant US attorney at the SDNY.