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."

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.

A spate of high-ranking resignations marks a stunning escalation in the standoff over the Trump Administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability.