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Trump wants to stack the DOJ's leadership with his personal lawyers
VoxFormer Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), an accused sex offender known for his firm loyalty to Trump, will not lead the Department of Justice. (Gaetz has denied wrongdoing.) Several other lawyers President-elect Donald Trump has close personal ties to, however, remain up for top DOJ jobs.
This means that, regardless of who eventually becomes attorney general, at least three of the highest jobs in the Justice Department, the office that brings federal prosecutions, will be held by people whose records suggest they will advance Trump’s personal interest. And unlike Gaetz, Trump’s nominees for these three jobs have serious legal credentials and institutional knowledge, and thus are likely to be effective in advancing those interests.
Trump chose Todd Blanche, the criminal defense lawyer in his New York hush money trial (the one where he faced charges related to money paid to keep a sexual encounter quiet), to be deputy attorney general. That’s the No. 2 job in the Justice Department. The DAG, as this position is known within the department, wields tremendous power over federal criminal prosecutions. If successfully appointed, Blanche will supervise the 93 regional US attorneys who bring the bulk of all federal prosecutions in the United States. So Blanche will have a great deal of authority over who is prosecuted.
Meanwhile, Trump wants John Sauer, the lawyer who represented him in the Supreme Court case holding that Trump is allowed to use the powers of the president to commit crimes, to serve as solicitor general. The role oversees the Justice Department’s legal strategy in the Supreme Court, including arguing many of the most important cases. They also decide which cases the DOJ will appeal if the federal government loses a case in a trial court.
This means that, regardless of who eventually becomes attorney general, at least three of the highest jobs in the Justice Department, the office that brings federal prosecutions, will be held by people whose records suggest they will advance Trump’s personal interest. And unlike Gaetz, Trump’s nominees for these three jobs have serious legal credentials and institutional knowledge, and thus are likely to be effective in advancing those interests.
Trump chose Todd Blanche, the criminal defense lawyer in his New York hush money trial (the one where he faced charges related to money paid to keep a sexual encounter quiet), to be deputy attorney general. That’s the No. 2 job in the Justice Department. The DAG, as this position is known within the department, wields tremendous power over federal criminal prosecutions. If successfully appointed, Blanche will supervise the 93 regional US attorneys who bring the bulk of all federal prosecutions in the United States. So Blanche will have a great deal of authority over who is prosecuted.
Meanwhile, Trump wants John Sauer, the lawyer who represented him in the Supreme Court case holding that Trump is allowed to use the powers of the president to commit crimes, to serve as solicitor general. The role oversees the Justice Department’s legal strategy in the Supreme Court, including arguing many of the most important cases. They also decide which cases the DOJ will appeal if the federal government loses a case in a trial court.
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