A former federal prosecutor has sharply criticized Donald Trump for pressuring one of his own appointees, U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, to resign after Siebert refused to pursue charges against one of Trump’s political rivals.
Siebert stepped down on Saturday after what Politico described as “attacks from the president.” According to the report, Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi pushed Siebert to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges.
The Trump administration has used similar allegations against other opponents, including Senator Adam Schiff of California and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Following Siebert’s resignation, Bondi appointed conservative attorney Mary “Maggie” Cleary to lead the Eastern District of Virginia. Cleary has previously claimed she was “framed” for her presence at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, attack.
The move drew strong criticism from Glenn Kirschner, a former Deputy U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., who spoke on The Legal Breakdown podcast with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen.
“This story is not only disgusting, it is rule-of-law-busting,” Kirschner said. “It’s not terribly surprising because Donald Trump is forever bloating about prosecuting his political opponents.”
Kirschner added that Trump’s threats to prosecute rivals have become familiar but still troubling. “Kind of feels like these threats become hollow over time, but it seems like he has been insistent that he wants New York State Attorney General Tish James indicted for something,” he said.
He also warned that Cleary now faces a difficult and highly politicized role. “She knows that her predecessor reached the conclusion that there’s no ‘there’ there,” Kirschner said. “He actually honored his loyalty to the Constitution and declined to indict Tish James just because Donald Trump wanted him to.
She will obviously have a decision to make. The question becomes, what kind of a person, what kind of a prosecutor, what kind of a US Attorney is she?” The controversy comes as Trump continues to face his own legal battles, including civil and criminal cases tied to his business practices and political activities.
Attorney General Letitia James has been a particularly frequent target of his criticism, especially since her office brought a sweeping fraud case against him in New York.
The replacement of Siebert with Cleary has fueled further debate over whether the Justice Department is being used as a political weapon under Trump’s leadership. Critics warn that the shift threatens the independence of federal prosecutors, while supporters of the president argue that political adversaries deserve to face scrutiny.