Trump triggers American lawyer in the San Diego Tara McGrath region

The American lawyer in the San Diego region, Tara McGrath, was withdrawn from her role on Wednesday evening, sending an e-mail to federal prosecutors in her office that she was “informed by the White House this afternoon that My mandate as an American prosecutor has ended, with effect today ”.

The first deputy prosecutor of the United States Andrew Haden, a long-time prosecutor at the office, will be an American lawyer for the southern district of California. Haden previously served about two months as an acting American lawyer in 2023, filling a short gap between Randy Grossman and McGrath.

“It was an honor to serve as an American lawyer, working alongside an exceptional team in this office and forging solid partnerships with our law enforcement organizations and communities in pursuit of justice,” said declared McGrath in a press release. “While I drop out of a career of several decades in the public service, I remain inspired by dedicated officials in this district and I am proud of everything we have achieved together.”

A declaration from his office said McGrath had been informed of his dismissal “in a communication from the White House, towards the President of the United States”. The statement added that the “White House also thanked Ms. McGrath for her service to the nation”.

McGrath was sworn in in October 2023 and served about 16 months as an American prosecutor after President Joe Biden waited for more than two years after his mandate to appoint it and the Senate delayed six months confirming it.

The news of its withdrawal Wednesday was somewhat surprising – not because it was unexpected, but rather because it followed a more traditional process than expected under the Trump administration.

It is customary for a new presidential administration to withdraw American lawyers appointed by the previous administration and for the order of the office to take over in an actor role, as happened with McGrath and Haden. Next comes a long process for the new president to appoint his own choices of American lawyers and make them confirm the Senate.

Bloomberg Law reported in January that the new Trump administration planned to bypass the first assistants in favor of prosecutors of the office who, according to the administration, would support Trump’s priorities. The point of sale has reported that the Trump administration prioritizes “high -level districts”, including those of New York, Washington, DC, Miami, Texas and California.

This is what happened in the District of Columbia, where the acting prosecutor of the United States Ed Martin was sworn in just a few minutes after Trump on the day of the inauguration, and in the following days, led The affairs rejection effort against the defendants accused of storming the American Capitol on January 6 on January 6. , 2021.

McGrath expected an equally rapid change given the nature of the southern district of California as a border district and one of the most frequented districts of the nation – so much so that it has cleaned most of Its office on the day of the inauguration in anticipation of change.

But instead, she spent more than three weeks to continue directing the office, even if the Trump administration began to give instructions on federal prosecutors to start focusing more on immigration and that 300 Employees from his office received the same “Fork on the road” Letters of resignation as other federal employees of the staff management office.

“I cherished the years spent here – including both the most difficult challenges and the best moments of my career,” McGrath wrote in the email she sent to her office on Wednesday evening which been consulted by the Union-Tribune. “However, none of what I have witnessed or worked over the years, rivals in the past three weeks. I have never seen such dedication, resilience or perseverance like what I have observed for all of you. Your commitment to the work of this office, the inhabitants of this district and each other is extraordinary. »»

McGrath told the Union-Tribune last April that it did not focus on the duration of the duration of its mandate, despite the fact that it would be short-lived if Trump was back in office. “I don’t think it’s my job,” she said at the time. “I am a guardian of the title of United States prosecutor.”

Asked after Trump’s election if she planned to resign early, she promised to stay in the position until she was told to leave. “The American lawyer is proud to serve this district and will continue in the role as long as it is necessary,” said a spokesperson for his office at the time.

In the statement announcing its departure, the McGrath office praised more than $ 41 million which it obtained from the colonies and the recovery of its mandate. He listed as some of his main achievements the extradition of the brain of Girlsdoporn Michael Pratt; confiscation of $ 130 million with Wynn Las Vegas; the very first prosecution and conviction of the country for having counterbalanced greenhouse gases in the United States; And the long half-brothers sentenced for having killed their sister and his family of four in Tijuana.

She ended her email at her office with what she said she was the same message she shared during her first day as an American lawyer: “Take care of each other; take care of yourself; And never stop asking difficult questions. Justice requires meticulous examination and integrity; Continue to hold on, you and the others, at this high level. »»

Haden, who was the first McGrath assistant in recent months, is a University City secondary school and a graduate from the University of Stanford who graduated in law from the University of San Diego. He was an officer in the navy for five years before joining the office of the United States lawyer in San Diego in 2010. In addition to serving as a first assistant, the role n ° 2 in the office, he worked on General crimes and supervising units that pursue major crimes, violent crimes and human trafficking. He directed the illegal pursuit of DE in the firearms of the former captain of the sheriff Marco Garmo and the jeweler Leo Hamel.

Originally published: February 12, 2025 at 8:10 p.m. PST