Audrey Strauss

Audrey Strauss previously served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). In this capacity, she was a prominent figure in several high-profile legal proceedings. Notably, she was involved in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former associate, and was seen pointing to a photo of them during a news conference in July 2020, discussing Maxwell's sex trafficking conviction. Strauss's tenure also saw the SDNY, under her leadership, facing a lawsuit from the State of New Mexico. The state alleged that the Justice Department and Todd Blanche, potentially in conjunction with actions overseen by Strauss's office, had obstructed New Mexico's own investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Her role as acting U.S. Attorney placed her at the forefront of significant federal prosecutions and investigations during her time in office.