President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating Jay Clayton to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position traditionally known as the “sheriff of Wall Street.”

Mr. Clayton served as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Mr. Trump’s first administration. Since leaving the government, Mr. Clayton served as Apollo Global Management Inc’s  independent chair and worked as a senior advisor at the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

In a statement, Mr. Trump said his former SEC chairman is a “highly respected business leader, counsel and public servant.”

“Jay is going to be a strong fighter for the truth as we Make America Great Again,” Mr. Trump said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York handles many high-profile cases, including financial fraud, organized crime and public corruption. It also has jurisdiction over New York’s financial companies on Wall Street.

In the past three years, the office has brought several high-profile financial fraud cases, including the prosecution of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Huang, who were both convicted.

Mr. Trump in 2020 tapped Mr. Clayton to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York as it was investigating several of his associates, including advisor Steve Bannon.

However, the selection was made toward the end of his term and the nomination never advanced.

If confirmed, Mr. Clayton will likely be tasked with carrying out Mr. Trump’s agenda in New York such as combating illegal immigration and reducing crime.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.