Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to pledge that the Justice Department would always operate independently of the White House, saying President Donald Trump’s views should be taken into consideration when the department makes decisions.
Blanche made the comments Sunday during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker, just days after he was sworn in as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Asked directly whether he could promise that the Justice Department would act independently of the White House, Blanche responded: “No, I’m not going to pledge that.” He added that he did not believe any attorney general should make such a pledge.
The statement is likely to intensify concerns about the Justice Department’s independence under the Trump administration. The department has traditionally operated with a degree of separation from the White House, particularly following the Watergate era, when concerns about presidential interference prompted efforts to strengthen the department’s independence.
Blanche, a former personal criminal defense attorney for Trump, argued that considering the president’s views does not mean the Justice Department would abandon its legal responsibilities. He said Trump would never ask him to do something unethical or illegal.
“This narrative that’s mostly pushed by the left and pushed by the media that the president’s going to pull me aside and ask me to do something illegal is completely a false narrative,” Blanche said during the interview.
Blanche also said he would be willing to disagree with Trump when necessary. However, his refusal to make a broader commitment to independence has drawn criticism from former Justice Department officials and legal scholars, who argue that prosecutorial decisions should not be driven by political considerations.
The attorney general’s comments come after a contentious confirmation process. Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in a narrow 50 49 vote and succeeded Pam Bondi, who left the position after disagreements with the president over the department’s handling of cases involving Trump’s political opponents.
During the interview, Blanche also defended the department’s approach to several other controversial issues. He said a proposed $1.8 billion “anti weaponization” fund intended to compensate people who claimed they had been unfairly prosecuted was effectively dead. The proposal had generated concerns that the money could benefit some people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Blanche also defended U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after Trump criticized her handling of a vandalism case involving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Blanche said he supported Pirro and argued that her performance should not be judged on the basis of a single case.
The attorney general further indicated that the administration would continue pursuing its efforts to obtain state voter rolls as part of what it calls an “election integrity” initiative. The Trump administration has sued states that have refused to provide voter information and has suffered numerous court defeats in the effort.
Blanche’s comments have therefore placed a renewed spotlight on the boundary between presidential authority and the Justice Department’s traditional independence. As he begins his tenure, his approach to that relationship is likely to remain a central issue for Congress, legal experts and the public.
Source: washingtonpost
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