By Sarah N. Lynch
U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday named Seth DuCharme, a prosecutor who has risen rapidly in the Justice Department under the Trump administration, as acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
DuCharme, who for the last six months has been principal associate deputy attorney general in Washington, is swapping roles with Richard Donoghue, the current U.S. Attorney for the Brooklyn-based Eastern District.
The Justice Department earlier this month announced Donoghue’s move to Washington. The Eastern District includes the counties of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk.
The moves follow controversial staff changes in the ranks of federal prosecutors. U.S. Attorney for the Manhattan-based Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman was ousted in June. Berman initially refused to step down, forcing President Donald Trump to fire him the next day.
He ultimately agreed to leave, after Barr backed off his earlier plan to install New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, Craig Carpenito, in his place as acting U.S. Attorney.
DuCharme previously worked in the Eastern District starting in 2008 and held roles in the general crimes, violent crimes, national security and cybercrime sections.
Before his current position, he served as counsel to Barr from March to December 2019.
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