Todd Blanche Declines to Pledge DOJ Independence from the White House

During a Sunday interview on NBC’s *Meet the Press*, Attorney General Todd Blanche said he would consider the president’s view on prosecutions but asserted the president would never ask him to cross an ethical or legal line.

Forbes

The DOJ’s independence has been a cornerstone of U.S. governance since the Watergate scandal. Since President Trump assumed office, the department has seen high-profile personnel changes and investigations viewed as politically motivated. Blanche, a former personal defense lawyer for Trump, served as acting attorney general after the removal of Pam Bondi and was confirmed by a 50-49 Senate vote.

Newsweek

• Senate confirmation vote: 50-49.

Newsweek

• Proposed “anti-weaponization” fund: $1.776 billion, created in a settlement with the IRS; Blanche has said the fund is dead.

Forbes

• The fund was intended to compensate individuals who claimed they were targeted by the DOJ, including some defendants from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Forbes

Blanche emphasized that the president’s policy preferences are part of normal executive operations. He dismissed the notion that Trump would issue direct orders to prosecute specific individuals, calling it an “extraordinarily false narrative.” He also reiterated that the anti-weaponization fund will not be revived and that any person who sues the federal government can seek compensation through existing tort-claim processes.

Forbes

Blanche has declared the anti-weaponization fund “dead” and said no money has been transferred, yet he did not rule out compensation through separate tort-claim filings. The DOJ says claims related to the Jan. 6 riot are barred by a two-year statute of limitations that expired in January 2023, but Blanche has not provided a definitive ruling on future claims.

Forbes

• “There’s a big difference between saying we will always do our job and investigate any case and act independently of the White House. No, I’m not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that,” — Todd Blanche, attorney

The Hill

• “The president will never ask me to do something unethical or illegal. He never has. He never will,” — Todd Blanche, attorney

The Hill