Danielle Sassoon, who resigned from her position as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, oversaw all investigations into federal crimes in the Southern District of New York, including the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams that the Trump administration has directed be dropped.

She was appointed as the interim U.S. Attorney for the district on Jan. 21 and had not brought the initial charges against Adams. Those charges were brought by former U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, a Democrat who resigned after Trump won reelection.

When Danielle Sassoon's college newspaper asked her two decades ago for three words she would use to describe herself, the first word the future lawyer said was "independent."