US Attorney Resigns After Refusing Pressure to Target Trump’s Rivals
A senior federal prosecutor has stepped down following claims he resisted political pressure to bring charges against some of Donald Trump’s most vocal adversaries.
Erik Siebert, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, tendered his resignation on Friday.
His departure follows growing tensions with the former president, who reportedly demanded Siebert’s removal after learning that Virginia’s Democratic senators had backed his nomination earlier this year.
Sources close to the matter suggest the final straw came when Siebert refused to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Investigators had probed mortgage fraud allegations, but no evidence was uncovered. Despite this, the Trump administration is said to have pressed for charges to be filed.
Trump himself fanned the flames, telling reporters: he thinks James is “very guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”
James, a frequent critic of Trump, previously led a successful civil lawsuit against him in New York.
Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, blasted the reported attempts to influence Siebert, calling it “a brazen attack on the rule of law.”
URGENT BREAKING: United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert just resigned after Trump said he wanted him out, following his refusal to indict Letitia James.
Note: He was appointed by Trump.
This is what “going after your political opponents”… pic.twitter.com/xJJwoldYot
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) September 20, 2025
Lowell continued: “This prosecutor did exactly what justice required by following the facts and the evidence, which didn’t support charges against Attorney General James.
Firing people until he finds someone who will bend the law to carry out his revenge has been the President’s pattern, and it’s illegal.”
Siebert is also believed to have turned down demands to pursue former FBI director James Comey, a fierce Trump critic who was sacked in 2017.
According to The Washington Post, the push originated from allegations raised by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
Comey, too, has long been in Trump’s crosshairs, symbolising the deep rift between the former president and US law enforcement institutions.
In his farewell email, Siebert praised his staff, describing them as “the finest and most exceptional”.
He added: “Thank you for the lessons you have taught me, the sacrifices you have made, and the pursuit of justice you strive for every day.”
Siebert’s deputy has also stepped down from her leadership role, though she will remain in the office as a line prosecutor. No successor has yet been confirmed.
The resignation raises fresh questions about Trump’s influence over the justice system and whether US Attorneys are being used as pawns in political vendettas.
Following recent political developments, this comes shortly after high-profile leaders signed major agreements, such as the tech deal at Chequers, highlighting the ongoing intersections of politics and policy.
With one of Virginia’s top prosecutors now gone, critics argue the move undermines confidence in impartial justice.
Allies of Siebert insist his decision to follow evidence, not politics, sets an important precedent.
