Jack E. Boucher / Historic American Buildings Survey / Public domain / Archive Justice Department entrance detail, resized
Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the Justice Department would represent executive-branch officials called before Congress, defending that role as Democrats prepared to exercise congressional oversight.
“In every Administration, the Department of Justice represents members of the executive who are brought in front of Congress,” Blanche said in remarks highlighted by a November 8 White House release summarizing his Sunday television appearances.
Blanche argued that his position was consistent with the work of previous attorneys general. The release presented the administration’s defense of its officials as it faces the prospect of investigations and demands for testimony.
He also criticized Democrats’ rhetoric about cabinet officials, private companies and donors. Blanche said proposed efforts to investigate companies that had invested in the country went beyond legitimate oversight. Those were his accusations and his assessment of Democrats’ intentions, rather than findings by a court.
The attorney general said threats directed at donors and students interested in working for conservative institutions were troubling. The White House release did not provide a new court order resolving those allegations.
For companies and individuals drawn into congressional inquiries, Blanche’s comments signal the administration’s intended approach to defending its officials. They do not establish immunity from subpoenas, resolve a dispute over congressional authority or announce a judicial ruling.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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