Federal prosecutor overseeing Rudy Giuliani probe stepping down
The chief of the public corruption unit at the Manhattan US Attorney’s office, which is handling the criminal investigation of Rudy Giuliani, is stepping down at the end of the week to return to private practice, a person familiar with the matter tells CNN.
Edward Diskant, who has been a prosecutor at the office for nine years, is set to be replaced as public corruption chief by Rebekah Donaleski, one of the prosecutors who has been leading the Giuliani investigation, the person said.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s office declined to comment.
Under Diskant’s watch, the public corruption unit has pursued some of the office’s highest-profile investigations and prosecutions, including the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of the late Jeffrey Epstein; the prosecution of Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman; and the indictment of Steve Bannon, who was subsequently pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
The Giuliani investigation, which began more than two years ago, escalated late last month as federal agents executed search warrants on his Manhattan home and office.
Diskant is expected to join the law firm McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its New York office, focusing on white-collar criminal defense and litigation.
