Blanche Refuses to Pledge DOJ Independence From Trump
Blanche Refuses to Pledge DOJ Independence From Trump
The News
Attorney General Todd Blanche refused Sunday to pledge that the Justice Department will act independently of the White House, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" that no attorney general should make such a promise.
"I'm not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that," Blanche said, according to WND.
He told host Kristen Welker he would "of course" consider President Trump's opinion on reviving prosecutions, while insisting Trump does not direct individual cases and does not want "yes men" running his departments.
Blanche, Trump's former personal defense lawyer, was confirmed as attorney general only last week.
What He Said
Blanche promised the department would "act with integrity" under his leadership, and pushed back on Welker's framing as a "false narrative," per WND's account of the interview.
"The president does not expect any of his leaders, including me, to just say yes to him, no matter what he says," Blanche told the program, according to the Washington Examiner.
He also defended Pirro, the U.S. attorney who moved to dismiss vandalism charges against former Olympian David Hearn over the Reflecting Pool case, saying it is "not fair" to judge a U.S. attorney on a "single case."
On the department's demand that states hand over voter-registration data — an effort blocked so far by 22 lower-court rulings — Blanche said the administration would "absolutely" consider taking the fight to the Supreme Court.
Timeline
The Senate confirms Blanche 50-49 after a contentious nomination fight. Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski vote against him; Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) casts the decisive vote and tells constituents he is making the right call.
Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer, interviewed by former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, describes what she called a "bizarre scene" at Blanche's swearing-in, in which Justice Department employees came out of their offices to applaud the new attorney general.
Days after being confirmed, Blanche travels to New York to stump for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, an ally of Trump's.
Blanche appears on "Meet the Press," declines to pledge independence from the White House, defends U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, and says the push to obtain state voter rolls will continue.
Reactions
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has argued that a president's personal attorney cannot credibly lead independent federal law enforcement.
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance wrote that Blanche's appearance at the Blakeman rally violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal officials from using their positions to influence an election. Vance said the episode left her "deeply disgusted," Raw Story reported.
Cassidy, who supplied the vote that put Blanche in the job, was pressed over the new attorney general's remarks a week after backing him.
Conservative outlets read the interview the other way: The Gateway Pundit described Blanche as hitting back hard at a "gotcha question," and the Washington Times headlined his promise to run the department with "integrity."
What's Next
The voter-roll litigation is the near-term test. Blanche says the administration is prepared to press the state-data cases to the Supreme Court after losing in lower courts.
Whether any oversight body — including the department's own Office of Professional Responsibility — reviews the Blakeman rally appearance under the Hatch Act remains unanswered. Watchdog group CREW was contacted for comment and had not responded by publication time, per reporting in the cluster.
Expect Senate Democrats to keep hammering the independence question, and expect Republicans who voted yes — Cassidy foremost — to keep being asked about it.
More
The underlying dispute is old and unsettled: how far the Justice Department should sit apart from White House direction, especially on individual prosecutions. Blanche's answer is that coordination with the president is normal and that integrity, not distance, is the standard. His critics say the man who defended Trump in court cannot be the man who decides who gets charged.
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