Overview
- On Friday, Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly said he and the Department of Justice would serve as legal counsel for newly named White House chief of staff Stephen Miller.
- Blanche made the statement on social media and reiterated it on Fox News, and several reports note his past role as President Trump’s personal lawyer and an earlier confirmation hearing slip that critics cite when questioning his impartiality.
- Legal commentators and former DOJ officials responded that government lawyers represent the public interest and the department, not private individuals, and urged that anyone with possible personal legal exposure hire private counsel.
- Incoming Oversight Chair Rep. Robert Garcia warned Miller to “lawyer up,” and some House Democrats, including Reps. Hank Johnson and Deborah Ross, have publicly floated impeachment as a potential response to Blanche’s conduct.
- Media reports that senior Justice Department officials have resigned since the midterms add to concerns about politicization and personnel instability, and the next likely developments are oversight hearings and formal investigatory demands from House Democrats.