Preet Bharara

Background

Preet Bharara was born in Firozpur, India, and grew up in New Jersey. He attended Harvard College and Columbia Law School, clerked for a federal judge, and joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, eventually rising to chief of the criminal division. He was appointed U.S. Attorney for SDNY by President Obama in 2009 and confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

During his tenure, which ran from 2009 to 2017, Bharara became one of the most prominent federal prosecutors in the country. He earned a national reputation for aggressive pursuit of Wall Street financial fraud, public corruption, organized crime, and terrorism cases. He was named on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people.

In March 2017, President Trump asked all Obama-era U.S. Attorneys to resign. Bharara refused, was fired, and became a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s interference in prosecutorial independence.

Connection to Epstein

Bharara was not in office during the 2006–2008 period when the Epstein federal investigation and NPA were developed in the Southern District of Florida. He was not personally involved in any decisions regarding Epstein.

His connection to the case is primarily through his post-office role as a legal commentator. When Epstein was arrested by SDNY in July 2019, Bharara appeared extensively in media coverage to analyze the charges, explain the significance of the case, and discuss why SDNY believed it was not bound by the prior Florida NPA. He was one of the most articulate public voices explaining the jurisdictional strategy that allowed the New York prosecution to proceed.

He has been consistently critical of the 2008 NPA and its immunity provisions, describing it as an extraordinary departure from standard prosecutorial norms. His commentary helped the public understand why experienced federal prosecutors viewed the deal as deeply improper.

Aftermath

Following his dismissal, Bharara became a fellow at New York University School of Law, launched the podcast “Stay Tuned with Preet,” and co-founded the law firm Bharara for Justice. His podcast addressed legal and political issues of public concern, including the Epstein case and its aftermath extensively. He has continued to be a prominent voice on prosecutorial accountability and rule of law issues.