Blanche Refuses to Pledge DOJ Independence From Trump

Attorney General Todd Blanche refused Sunday to pledge the Justice Department would always act independently of the White House. He said he would consider Trump's views on matters before the department.

• 50-49 Senate vote confirmed Blanche last week after a contentious nomination fight.
• 2 Republican senators — Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — voted against confirmation.
• 22 lower-court rulings have blocked the DOJ's demand for state voter-registration data.
• Blanche spoke at a New York rally for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman days after confirmation.

Why it matters: Blanche's comments go to a core question: how insulated the Justice Department should be from White House direction, especially over individual prosecutions.

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued 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 use of a federal position to influence an election.

How 33 sources split on this story

Where they split: The dispute is whether Blanche's stated deference to Trump's priorities represents normal executive-branch coordination or a departure from the DOJ's traditional independence from political direction.

What’s next: Blanche said the administration would "absolutely" consider taking the voter-data cases to the Supreme Court.

• Watchdog group CREW was contacted for comment; no response was reported by publication time.
• Will the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility or any oversight body review Blanche's rally appearance under the Hatch Act?
• If the voter-registration cases reach the Supreme Court, will the administration's authority to compel state data disclosure be upheld?