preet bharara , the united states attorney in manhattan who has built a reputation as a fierce prosecutor of public corruption cases, said on wednesday that he intended to remain in office under president-elect donald j. trump <u+2019>s administration. mr. bharara, who was appointed to the position in 2009 by president obama, made the announcement after meeting with the president-elect at trump tower. mr. bharara, 48, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said mr. trump had asked to see him to discuss <u+201c>whether or not i<u+2019>d be prepared to stay on as the united states attorney to do the work as we have done it, independently, without fear or favor for the last seven years.<u+201d> <u+201c>we had a good meeting,<u+201d> mr. bharara continued. <u+201c>i said i would absolutely consider staying on. i agreed to stay on.<u+201d> mr. bharara said that he had already talked to senator jeff sessions, republican of alabama, who is mr. trump<u+2019>s choice for attorney general. <u+201c>he also asked that i stay on, and so i expect that i will be continuing,<u+201d> mr. bharara said. mr. bharara, who before becoming the united states attorney served as chief counsel to senator chuck schumer, democrat of new york, did not elaborate on how the meeting was arranged. but mr. schumer, in a statement issued after mr. bharara made his announcement, said, <u+201c>president-elect trump called me last week and asked me what i thought about preet bharara continuing his role as u.s. attorney.<u+201d> <u+201c>i told him i thought preet was great,<u+201d> mr. schumer added, <u+201c>and i would be all for keeping him on the job and fully support it. i am glad they met, and am glad preet is staying on.<u+201d> mr. trump also asked mr. schumer how best to reach mr. bharara, and the senator provided mr. trump with mr. bharara<u+2019>s direct line, said a person who was briefed on the call and spoke on the condition of anonymity. united states attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and typically offer their resignations after a new president takes office. mr. trump did not immediately issue a statement about his decision, but mr. bharara, in his comments, said that mr. trump had asked to meet with him <u+201c>presumably because he<u+2019>s a new yorker and is aware of the great work that our office has done.<u+201d> mr. bharara has shown a record of independence as a prosecutor, as well as a willingness to take on powerful figures in state government, democrats included. last year, his office won the convictions of sheldon silver , the former speaker of the state assembly and a democrat, and of dean g. skelos , the former state senate majority leader and a republican. his office also investigated gov. andrew m. cuomo<u+2019>s shutting down of an anticorruption panel known as the moreland commission (no charges were brought against mr. cuomo, a democrat). and the office recently charged two former advisers to mr. cuomo in a bribery and bid-rigging case. <u+201c>preet has shown as a prosecutor that he is willing to take on the political establishment,<u+201d> said arlo devlin-brown, a former chief of mr. bharara<u+2019>s corruption unit who is now a partner at the law firm covington & burling. <u+201c>he<u+2019>s also shown he can win. there is no question that these are qualities that the president-elect admires.<u+201d> mr. bharara<u+2019>s tenure of more than seven years as the united states attorney in manhattan has been exceeded in the past 100 years by only two of his predecessors: mary jo white and robert m. morgenthau. mr. bharara<u+2019>s office is currently prosecuting ahmad khan rahami, a new jersey man accused of setting off a bomb in the chelsea section of manhattan that injured more than 30 people (he has pleaded not guilty ). other cases being prosecuted by the office involve charges of insider trading against william t. walters, a las vegas sports gambler who has also pleaded not guilty, and an alleged kickback scheme by a former executive at valeant pharmaceuticals. matthew goldstein contributed reporting. a version of this article appears in print on december 1, 2016, on page a25 of the new york edition with the headline: bharara says he will stay u.s. attorney under trump. order reprints | today's paper | subscribe
preet bharara says he will stay on as u.s. attorney under trump
benjamin weiser nick corasaniti