The stories all yesterday and this morning have been that Barr can’t fire Berman at SDNY because he was appointed by the court. There’s been speculation whether Trump can fire him, but if so, he would have to do it personally. Five minutes ago, he did:
Trump Personally Fires U.S. attorney Who Investigated His Associates
President Trump on Saturday personally fired the United States Attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey S. Berman, whose office has pursued one case after another that has rankled the president and his allies, putting his former personal lawyer in prison and investigating his current one.
However, CNN has a slightly different story: Trump has fired Berman, Barr says
Attorney General Bill Barr said Saturday that President Donald Trump has fired the Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
"Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the President to remove you as of today, and he has done so," Barr wrote in a letter to Berman. "By operation of law, the Deputy United States Attorney, Audrey Strauss, will become the Acting United States Attorney, and I anticipate that she will serve in that capacity until a permanent successor is in place."
Given that Bunker Boy is well-known to hate (or be scared of) firing people in person, it sure sounds like Barr is still trying to give him cover. The way this letter reads, it sounds like Trump did not speak to Berman directly, just that he told Barr to fire him. That is, by most accounts, not valid.
Saturday, Jun 20, 2020 · 8:11:12 PM +00:00 · Dan K
And the Wall Street Journal, which often sides with Trump, isn’t so sure he can fire him, even if done in person:
Legal grounds for removing Mr. Berman from the post remained unclear. Before Mr. Barr’s letter, people familiar with the situation said the matter was likely to end up before a judge.
Mr. Berman could seek clarification in court over the weekend, people familiar with the matter said. He also is likely to hire personal legal counsel, people familiar said. Mr. Barr had indicated in his statement Friday night that Mr. Berman would be out as of July 3.
Saturday, Jun 20, 2020 · 8:23:06 PM +00:00 · Dan K
H/T to Doctor Who: Bunker Boy is holding a presser right now at which he denied telling Barr to fire Berman:
"That's all up to the Attorney General," Trump said, distancing himself from the decision to fire SDNY USA Berman."That's all [Barr's] department, not my department.""I'm not involved," Trump said, minutes after Barr said Trump *ordered* Berman's removal.
Saturday, Jun 20, 2020 · 11:03:33 PM +00:00 · Dan K
Berman has announced he will step down, because Barr is letting his deputy take over: U.S. attorney who was investigating people close to Trump now says he will step down, ending standoff with attorney general:
In a statement Saturday evening, Berman said that because Barr had respected “the normal operation of law” by appointing his deputy to lead the office, he would step aside.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this District’s U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy, but I could leave the District in no better hands than Audrey’s,” he said.
Barr, meanwhile, was shocked! SHOCKED! that Berman would question his motives:
“Your statement also wrongly implies that your continued tenure in the office is necessary to ensure that cases now pending in the Southern District of New York are handled appropriately. This is obviously false,” Barr wrote.
CNN also reports it, and has this quote:
Berman said in a statement several hours later that he would exit his post. "In light of Attorney General Barr's decision to respect the normal operation of law and have Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss become Acting U.S. Attorney, I will be leaving the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, effective immediately," he said.