Richard Donoghue named Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District
Richard P. Donoghue has been named the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday. The appointment will last 120 days and will take effect on Friday, Jan. 5.
Donoghue was an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the EDNY from 2000 to 2011, where he served as Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief of the Long Island Criminal Division. In his announcement, Sessions made it clear that his appointment is all about going after the crime syndicate MS-13.
“When I became attorney general, President Trump gave me clear orders to go after MS-13,” said Sessions. “Since then, this Department of Justice has been relentless, arresting hundreds of MS-13 members from Los Angeles to Long Island. Today, I am appointing someone as interim United States attorney for Eastern District of New York who has tremendous experience prosecuting MS-13: Richard Donoghue.