Blanch Defends Pirro, Says Prosecutors Should Be Fairly Evaluated

CoinWorld reported:

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanch publicly defended Washington D.C. federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro. Pirro had previously decided not to pursue charges in a federal vandalism case involving the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, a decision that drew criticism from President Trump.

Blanch was sworn in as Attorney General just last week. In an interview with NBC, he stated that Pirro should not be judged solely on a single case and that the public should assess the situation based on the evidence. He also mentioned that Pirro's office is still pursuing other cases involving damage to national memorials.

Trump Has Publicly Expressed Discontent

The controversy centers around the cause of the damage to the Reflecting Pool. Pirro's office had previously stated in court documents that the damage to the pool's coating was primarily due to construction errors rather than purely vandalism. Trump has repeatedly blamed the vandals but has not provided evidence.

Blanch indicated that the President is "very frustrated" with the outcome of the case, but this does not affect his support for Pirro. He stated that Trump also supports Pirro in continuing her position.

Independence from the White House Becomes a Focus

During the interview, Blanch was asked whether he would commit to keeping the Department of Justice independent from the White House. He did not make a clear commitment but stated that he cannot preemptively promise to oppose policy goals set by the President.

However, Blanch also asserted that the Department of Justice and federal prosecutors "will act with integrity" and will make decisions on whether to prosecute or not "without fear of pressure and without favoring either side." This statement has raised further concerns about the traditional independence of the Department of Justice. According to long-standing U.S. practice, the White House typically does not directly intervene in specific prosecutorial decisions.

Blanch Says He Will Consider the President's Views

Regarding the possibility of reopening the Reflecting Pool case, Blanch stated that if Trump pushes for the case to be revisited, he would certainly take the President's views into consideration. However, he also added that the President does not expect his subordinates to comply unconditionally with all requests.

Blanch also attempted to shift the focus of the discussion to other cases. He mentioned that Pirro is actively handling cases involving damage to national memorials in the capital. Just last week, Pirro's office charged a woman from Kentucky with spray painting graffiti on the WWII memorial at the National Mall.

This incident highlights the ongoing tug-of-war within the Trump administration regarding the handling of specific cases, the President's attitudes, and the judgments of the Justice Department.