Trump’s AG rejects independence pledge
Washington, Aug 17 (IANS) US Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that he would not pledge to operate independently of the White House, while insisting that President Donald Trump would never ask him to do anything illegal or unethical.
Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal defence lawyer, made the remarks on Sunday in an interview with NBC News.
Asked if he could promise that the Justice Department would always act independently of the White House, the Attorney General replied: “No, I’m not going to pledge that. And no Attorney General should ever pledge that.”
He said that such a commitment could prevent the Justice Department from pursuing the President’s legitimate law enforcement priorities.
“So I will act with integrity. Our prosecutors will act with integrity. We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favour,” Blanche added.
Asked what he would do if Trump sought action that crossed a legal or ethical line, the Attorney General rejected the premise.
“The President will never ask me to do something unethical or legal — or illegal. He never has. He never will,” Blanche said.
He added that he had sworn an oath to the US Constitution.
He called suggestions that Trump could ask him to act illegally “completely a false narrative”.
The Attorney General also said he would consider Trump’s views on individual prosecutions.
“Will I take the President of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course,” Blanche added.
He said that Trump had never called him and ordered him to prosecute a specific person.
He also added that he would challenge the President when necessary.
“I will always stand up for what’s right,” Blanche said.
“The President does not expect any of his leaders, including me, to just say yes to him no matter what he says.”
The interview also addressed Trump’s pardons for people charged over the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Blanche rejected the suggestion that those pardons conflicted with his pledge to protect law enforcement officers.
“The President’s pardon powers, any President’s pardon powers are not limited,” he said.
Blanche added that the Justice Department would prosecute anyone who assaulted law enforcement officers.
A President’s later decision to grant a pardon was a separate Constitutional power, he said.
He also ruled out reviving Trump’s proposed “anti-weaponisation fund”, which could have compensated people who claimed they were wronged by the federal government.
“There is no fund. There will be no fund,” Blanche added.
–IANS
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