Thursday, June 29, 2017

Deconstructing America

This month, the Trump White House nominated [John Huber] to serve as a U.S. attorney in [Utah].

But it came as something of a surprise to current and former Justice Department veterans Wednesday when Huber appeared for a news conference in Washington: not in the halls of Justice, but at the White House podium.

[...]

To some Justice Department insiders, that appearance was a problem, undermining confidence that DOJ and the FBI's law enforcement functions operate independently of the White House.Matthew Miller, the top spokesman for President Obama's first attorney general, said both location and personnel matter.

[...]

Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions took his own turn at the White House podium, relieving press secretary Sean Spicer, to speak out against so-called sanctuary cities, places that limit information-sharing with federal immigration officials.

[...]

During the campaign, [Trump] called for the prosecution of his political opponent, Hillary Clinton. In the White House, he fired FBI Director James Comey and without any evidence, suggested the FBI had illegal wiretapped Trump Tower during last year's campaign.

[...]

"This is another example of the Trump administration blurring the lines between the White House and law enforcement and encroaching on the Justice Department's independence," Miller said. "U.S. attorneys shouldn't be anywhere near the White House podium in any event, and they certainly shouldn't be there weighing in on hot-button issues as part of a White House political strategy. Every time the Trump administration crosses one of these lines, they weaken the rule of law in America."

  NPR
I think that's the point.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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