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Attorney General Blanche defends prosecutors' record, declines to critique dropped case in Q&A
Summary
In a brief question-and-answer session, Attorney General Blanche declined to comment on whether he agreed with a U.S. attorney's decision to drop charges in a separate case, defended the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office's work and acknowledged the president's authority to remove U.S. attorneys. Reporters asked whether foreign officials could be charged; officials declined to discuss specifics.
During a post‑announcement question-and-answer, reporters asked Attorney General Blanche whether he agreed with a U.S. attorney's decision to drop charges in an unrelated 'reflecting pool' case. Blanche would not speak to internal deliberations and emphasized he did not "approve or disapprove" prosecutorial decisions in general while praising the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office's recent work to reduce violent crime.
When pressed on hypotheticals about the president firing a U.S. attorney, Blanche said removal power exists and remains with the president but framed his remarks around the department's mission to make communities safe. Reporters also asked whether the government had evidence that foreign elected leaders were protecting suspects; DOJ and DEA leaders said corruption is part of cartel activity and that they will pursue corruption where they find it but did not announce any immediate charges against foreign officials.
Blanche also answered questions about his pending confirmation and said he would continue to communicate with lawmakers; several reporter follow-ups and one fragmentary question near the end of the provided transcript were not fully addressed in the supplied segments.
