Preet Bharara

Preet Bharara is a renowned American lawyer and author who served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 to 2017. During his tenure, he worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice to prosecute high-profile cases involving Wall Street executives, politicians, and organized crime figures, including Bernie Madoff and Raj Rajaratnam. Bharara's work has been recognized by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN, among other prominent media outlets. He has also been associated with notable figures such as Barack Obama, Eric Holder, and Loretta Lynch.

● Early Life and Education

Bharara was born in Firozpur, Punjab, India, and immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age, settling in New Jersey. He attended Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and graduated magna cum laude in 1990. Bharara then went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1993, where he was a member of the Columbia Law Review and worked with the American Civil Liberties Union. After law school, he clerked for Judge Maryanne Trump Barry of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and later worked as an associate at the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

● Career

Bharara began his career in public service as an assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York in 2000, working under United States Attorney Mary Jo White. He later served as chief counsel to Senator Chuck Schumer of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary from 2005 to 2009. In 2009, Bharara was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he held until his firing by President Donald Trump in 2017. During his tenure, Bharara worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Justice, and other law enforcement agencies, including the New York City Police Department and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

● Notable Cases

Bharara was involved in several high-profile cases during his tenure as United States Attorney, including the prosecution of Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of the Galleon Group, for insider trading. He also prosecuted Bernie Madoff for his role in a massive Ponzi scheme, as well as Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, for sexual assault. Additionally, Bharara's office investigated and prosecuted several Wall Street executives, including Fabrice Tourre of Goldman Sachs, for their roles in the 2008 financial crisis. Other notable cases included the prosecution of Terrorism suspects, such as Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to detonate a bomb in Times Square, and Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a senior leader of Al-Qaeda.

● Post-Government Career

After his firing by President Donald Trump in 2017, Bharara joined the New York University School of Law as a distinguished scholar in residence. He has also written a book, Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, which was published in 2019 by Alfred A. Knopf. Bharara has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration and has written op-eds for the New York Times and other publications, including The Washington Post and Time Magazine. He has also been a frequent guest on CNN, MSNBC, and other news networks, including Fox News and NPR.

● Personal Life

Bharara is married to Dalya Bharara, a lawyer who has worked at the United States Department of Justice and the New York City Law Department. The couple has three children and lives in Manhattan. Bharara is a fan of the New York Yankees and the New York Giants, and has been known to attend games at Yankee Stadium and MetLife Stadium. He has also been involved in various charitable organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the New York City Bar Association.

● Awards and Honors

Bharara has received numerous awards and honors for his work as a prosecutor and public servant, including the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been recognized by the New York City Bar Association and the National Association of Former United States Attorneys for his contributions to the field of law enforcement. In 2012, Bharara was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, alongside other notable figures such as Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and Warren Buffett.