Trump to name one of his personal lawyers for powerful Southern District of New York, which handles terrorism, espionage, and securities cases

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he will appoint one of his personal lawyers to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan after the attorney who holds the job was tapped this week for the role of director of national intelligence.

James M. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor who served in the White House counsel’s office during President George W. Bush’s administration, is part of the legal team handling Trump’s pending appeal of felony convictions in New York related to hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

Trump said Saturday he would name McDonald, currently a partner at the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm, to the role of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most influential positions in the Justice Department. He would replace Jay Clayton, whom Trump has put forward as his pick for the director of national intelligence.

McDonald’s perch as U.S. attorney would give him oversight of arguably the most prestigious of the Justice Department’s prosecution offices, with a vast portfolio ranging from terrorism and espionage cases to security fraud and public corruption.

McDonald was also part of the legal team that last month secured a favorable outcome for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani when the Trump adminis...