The Passion Of The Preet
When Preet Bharara got the axe alongside 45 other U.S. attorneys last week, he signed off with a rather pungent tweet: “Now I know what the Moreland Commission must have felt like.” That comment – which referenced the New York ethics commission Governor Andrew Cuomo prematurely aborted when it got too close for comfort – incited all sorts of speculation. Was he on the trail of some big shot? Was there political motivation the Trump administration's decision to can Bharara despite a gentleman's agreement back in November to keep him? Did he get rat-fucked?
Well, there's this:
Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was removed from his post by the Trump administration last week, was overseeing an investigation into stock trades made by the president’s health secretary, according to a person familiar with the office.
Health Secretary Tom Price, you'll recall, got discounted offers on the stock of a company that would directly benefit from legislation Price introduced, among other insider-y dealings. He got confirmed anyway. Who would have known that Preet, the bane of insider traders everywhere, was on the case?
The investigation of Price’s trades by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which hasn’t been previously disclosed, was underway at the time of Bharara’s dismissal, said the person.
That would have been a juicy case for old Preet. Hopefully he can distract himself from the pain of losing his office with some other pursuit.
Fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Said to Have Been Investigating HHS Secretary Tom Price [Pro Publica]
