Danielle Sassoon is an American attorney who recently served as the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). She was appointed to this position on January 21, 2025, following the departure of her predecessor. Sassoon’s tenure was notably brief, culminating in her resignation on February 13, 2025, due to a significant dispute with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Sassoon’s resignation was prompted by a directive from the DOJ to dismiss a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The case involved allegations that Mayor Adams accepted illegal foreign campaign contributions and performed official favors on behalf of the Turkish government. The DOJ’s order to drop the charges was reportedly part of an agreement to secure Mayor Adams’ assistance with the administration’s immigration enforcement priorities. Sassoon viewed this directive as an improper “quid pro quo” and inconsistent with her duty to prosecute fairly, leading to her decision to step down.
Before her appointment as acting U.S. Attorney, Sassoon had a distinguished career within the SDNY. She was part of the prosecution team that secured the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, on charges of fraud and theft of client assets. Additionally, she played a key role in the prosecution of Lawrence Ray, who was convicted of extortion, forced labor, and sex trafficking related to the abuse of his daughter’s college roommates.
Sassoon’s educational background includes graduating magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2008 and earning her law degree from Yale Law School in 2011. She clerked for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and later for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Her legal career began in private practice before she joined the SDNY in 2016.
Her resignation underscores the tension between the independence of federal prosecutors and directives from higher authorities within the DOJ. Sassoon’s decision to step down rather than comply with the order to dismiss the case against Mayor Adams highlights her commitment to prosecutorial independence and the ethical obligations of her role.
