Trump pick Jay Clayton's term extended as Manhattan's top federal prosecutor

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Federal judges in Manhattan on Monday extended Jay Clayton's term as the district's top federal prosecutor, as Senate Democrats block U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Attorney role from being permanently confirmed.

Trump in April appointed Clayton, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for a 120-day period while the administration pursued Senate confirmation for him to serve in the role full-time.

In a brief statement, the court's judges said they had authorized Clayton to serve in his role until a permanent nominee is appointed by the Senate. His term had been set to expire this week.

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney is considered one of the most powerful prosecutors in the country. The office, known for bringing high-profile financial crimes, terrorism and public corruption cases, has historically enjoyed a greater degree of independence from the Justice Department than the other 92 U.S. Attorneys' offices around the U.S.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis)