US Attorney General Todd Blanche has declined to pledge that he will always act independently of the White House, saying he could consider President Donald Trump’s views when making prosecution decisions.
“No, I’m not going to pledge that, and no attorney general should ever pledge that,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Blanche, Trump’s former personal defence lawyer who was confirmed by the Senate last weekend, insisted the president had never asked him to cross legal or ethical boundaries.
Asked whether Trump should have a voice in individual prosecutions, Blanche said it would depend on the circumstances.
“Will I take the president of the United States’ view on something into consideration? Yes, of course. And I hope every attorney general in history would not answer that question differently,” he said.
The comments come amid criticism that the Justice Department has pursued Trump’s political agenda, including cases involving some of his perceived opponents.
Blanche rejected suggestions that Trump directly orders prosecutions and said the president welcomes disagreement from senior officials.
He also told NBC that the administration could take its efforts to obtain state voter rolls to the Supreme Court after suffering several court defeats.
“Absolutely, it’s a possibility,” Blanche said when asked about a potential appeal.
