US Attorney, Under Pressure To Charge Trump's Political Opponents, "Fired"

Erik Siebert was a US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had "fired" a federal prosecutor who was reportedly experiencing pressure regarding investigations into two of the Republican leader's political opponents.

According to the New York Times and other American media outlets, Erik Siebert informed his staff of his resignation through an email sent on Friday.

The Times reported that Siebert had been facing pressure to prosecute two of Trump's political adversaries: former FBI director James Comey—whom Trump dismissed in 2017—and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

According to the Times, some administration officials had advocated for Siebert to remain in his position.

"Today I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"He didn't quit, I fired him!" he added.

Earlier that day in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters: "I want him out."

Officials familiar with the matter informed the Washington Post that the federal prosecutor had recently told Justice Department leadership he was declining to pursue charges against Comey regarding allegations of lying to Congress, and that there was insufficient evidence to charge James with mortgage fraud.

Former FBI director Comey was dismissed while heading an investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign had collaborated with Moscow to influence the 2016 presidential election, and has been an outspoken critic of the Republican president.

James, as New York's state prosecutor, brought a $464 million case against Trump, alleging that he and his company had illegally exaggerated his wealth and manipulated property values to secure favorable bank loans or insurance terms.

She, along with several other Democratic officials, has been accused by a close Trump ally, Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, of falsifying documents on mortgage applications.

When asked about the case against James on Friday, Trump said: "It looks to me like she's really guilty of something, but I really don't know."

Siebert, a Virginia Military Institute graduate and former Washington police officer, led a team of approximately 300 prosecutors in a jurisdiction that frequently handles major national security cases.