According to sources, President Donald Trump personally met with two potential U.S. attorney candidates, which some believe casts doubts on whether they can be independent enough from the president.
Geoffrey Berman and Ed McNally were interviewed by the president for the positions of U.S. attorney for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York respectively. It is unknown when the interviews took place and Trump is yet to announce nominees for the two posts.
The White House confirmed that the candidates were personally interviewed by the president, adding that it is within his constitutional powers to conduct such interviews. An official suggested Democrats were unhappy with these discussions, but that Trump “and other presidents before him and after may talk to individuals nominated to positions within the executive branch.”
The Southern District of New York is a particularly important position as it has authority over Trump Tower. The former U.S. attorney there, Preet Bharara was fired by the president in March, despite allegedly being told by Trump that he would keep the post. On Wednesday, Bharara expressed his displeasure with the interviews, tweeting that “it is neither normal nor advisable for Trump to personally interview candidates for U.S. Attorney positions, especially the one in Manhattan.”
So far, it has not been common practice for presidents to hold interviews for U.S. attorneys. However, the Senate Judiciary Committee received documents which show that up to now Trump has met with several candidates for U.S. attorneys, including Jessie Liu who is now the Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Senator Dianne Feinstein expressed her concerns about the meeting which took place before Liu’s nomination for the position in charge of investigating the Trump administration, Politico reports. Senator Richard Blumenthal similarly raised concerns regarding the president personally interviewing candidates.
“To be very blunt, these three jurisdictions will have authority to bring indictments over the ongoing special counsel investigation into Trump campaign collusion with the Russians and potential obstruction of justice by the president of the United States. For him to be interviewing candidates for that prosecutor who may in turn consider whether to bring indictments involving him and his administration seems to smack of political interference,” Blumenthal said.
U.S. attorneys must be approved by home-state senators. Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand would be the ones deciding whether the nominee for the New York position would move forward.
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