Lawyer Adam Schleifer
Name: Adam Schleifer
Former Role: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Central District of California (Los Angeles)
Status: Career federal prosecutor, terminated in 2025 via a White House-issued email
Party / Affiliation: Registered Democrat; former congressional candidate
Education: Not publicly confirmed
Birth Details: Not publicly confirmed
Career Overview
Adam Schleifer served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, based in Los Angeles. He worked on the office’s corporate and securities fraud strike force, handling complex financial crimes and white-collar investigations.
Schleifer briefly left public service to run for Congress in 2020 and later returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, continuing his work on corporate fraud prosecutions.
Major Cases and Actions
Schleifer was involved in the federal investigation of Andrew Wiederhorn, the former chief executive of Fat Brands Inc., who was accused of concealing taxable income through improper shareholder loans.
In early 2025, Schleifer was terminated from his position after Wiederhorn’s legal team reportedly sought White House intervention to have the charges dismissed. He received a one-line email stating the termination was “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump.”
Joseph T. McNally, the acting U.S. Attorney for the district, was reportedly not involved in the dismissal decision.
Following his removal, Schleifer filed a complaint with the Merit Systems Protection Board, alleging that the firing was unlawful and politically motivated.
Publications
No confirmed record exists of Adam Schleifer authoring law review articles, books, or professional legal commentaries.
Public Image and Focus
Schleifer’s dismissal has drawn national attention as a rare case of direct White House interference in the removal of a career prosecutor. Legal observers have cited the case as raising concerns about prosecutorial independence and the politicization of the Justice Department.
During his 2020 congressional campaign, Schleifer publicly criticized Trump-era policies, a history that some analysts have connected to his firing.
Personal Life
Schleifer’s family background has been noted in media coverage; his father, Leonard Schleifer, is the co-founder and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Further personal details, including place of birth and education, are not publicly confirmed.
Fast Facts
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Former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles
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Member of the corporate and securities fraud strike force
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Terminated in 2025 by White House order
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Involved in case against Andrew Wiederhorn, former Fatburger CEO
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Filed complaint alleging politically motivated dismissal
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No verified publications or books
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Former congressional candidate, Democratic Party
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Public focus on prosecutorial independence and executive overreach
