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[x24hrs2livex]

President Donald Trump has personally interviewed at least two potential candidates for U.S. attorney positions in New York, according to two sources familiar with the matter — a move that critics say raises questions about whether they can be sufficiently independent from the president.

Trump has interviewed Geoffrey Berman, who is currently at the law firm Greenburg Traurig for the job of U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ed McNally of the firm Kasowitz Benson Torres for the Eastern District post, according to the sources.

The White House did not rebut reports that Trump had personally conducted the interviews with those two candidates. A White House official noted: “These are individuals that the president nominates and the Senate confirms under Article II of the Constitution.”

“We realize Senate Democrats would like to reduce this President’s constitutional powers,” the White House official said. “But he 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 an especially notable position since it has jurisdiction over Trump Tower. Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney there, has asserted he was conducting an investigation into the Trump administration when Trump fired him along with all other U.S. attorneys — as is standard when an administration switches — earlier this year.

"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,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in an interview Thursday. “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."

Only interviewing the US Attorneys for districts that will impact him is fishy, but no one will do anything about it.

More at the link http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/19/trump-us-attorney-interviews-243962

 

[chefbags]

He must be so fucking bored with his job.

 

[Kahoona]

It's pretty telling that THIS is the one Presidential task that he actually seems to care about.

 

[x24hrs2livex]

He must be so fucking bored with his job.

While I'm sure he is, thats not really the issue here. Interviewing candidates for US attorneys is unusual, especially when they'd have jurisdiction over your financial and business dealings and or any crimes.

 

[Thoraxes]

The hipocracy of them talking about reducing the President's constitutional power when they denied Obama's SC appointment is a fucking joke.

 

[Zophar]

Peculiar given that he's likely to face state charges from New York...

 

[jelly]

Why does he care so much about this?

Kiss my ring, do you like charcoal steak, me too. Ivanka, yeah I wish. Hail hydra. You hired.

 

[Mr-Joker]

He must be so fucking bored with his job.

Naturally, since he probably didn't even want it in the first place and probably expected to lose and shop around his election campaign to TV network.

 

[Brandon F]

Altering the entire judicial landscape to better fit his idealized corrupt practices probably sits right behind tax relief for billionaires and restoring racism on his ‘real’ presidential wishlist he has tucked in his nightstand.

 

[Beartruck]

Peculiar given that he's likely to face state charges from New York...

Not if the condition of the job is that they won't prosecute him.

 

[NullPointer]

Burying the lede a bit there in the OP.

Brass tacks:

"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," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in an interview Thursday. ”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."

Other U.S. attorneys who have been nominated to posts around the country do not appear to have had similar interviews with Trump, according to Democrats who have been asking that of all nominees.

”The U.S. attorney for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York — like the U.S. attorney for Washington D.C. — would have jurisdiction over many important cases, including those involving President Trump's personal and family business interests," Feinstein said in a statement Thursday.

She added: ”There's no reason for President Trump to be meeting with candidates for these positions, which create the appearance that he may be trying to influence or elicit inappropriate commitments from potential U.S. attorneys. U.S. attorneys must be loyal to the Constitution — not the president."

 

[x24hrs2livex]

Burying the lede a bit there in the OP.

Brass tacks:

Haha, I knew I forgot to add one more paragraph, I couldnt remember which one.

 

[Santiako]

No one does interviews like Trump, believe me. The biggest interviews. Everyone says it.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Why does he care so much about this?

Kiss my ring, do you like charcoal steak, me too. Ivanka, yeah I wish. Hail hydra. You hired.

Because Mueller will undoubtably make a state case in New York so that Trump can't pardon himself and his aids.

 

[theWB27]

So when one is picked we know who gave him a little confidence they won't bring him...

 

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Peculiar given that he's likely to face state charges from New York...

Irrelevant.

U.S. attorneys are federal prosecutors with jurisdiction over federal crimes (which Trump may have been involved with). But this doesn't affect New York AG Eric Schneiderman at all.

 

[Shauni]

Does he have any actual power here? I was under the impression this was done on the State level.

 

[DonShula]

Watch him pick the wrong one anyway.

 

[SerAardvark]

Does he have any actual power here? I was under the impression this was done on the State level.

These are federal positions and are different than attorneys that work under the state AGs.

 

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Does he have any actual power here? I was under the impression this was done on the State level.

No.

U.S. attorneys are assigned to federal districts -- like the Southern District of New York, which used to be helmed by Preet Bharara.

States have absolutely no sway there. But the Governor can appoint, for instance, state attorneys, like New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

 

[x24hrs2livex]

Does he have any actual power here? I was under the impression this was done on the State level.

Yes. Picking a US Attorney who agrees not to prosecute you is a pretty big deal. If he can get rid of Mueller he is on easy street for most crimes he committed, besides whatever NYAG Schneiderman can get him on.

 

[andythinkpad]

"On the scale of 1 to fake news, how do you rate New York Times?"

"Do you think my wife is hot?"

"Do you think Putin is hot?"

 

[JettDash]

Peculiar given that he's likely to face state charges from New York...

The US Attorney has zero jurisdiction over state crimes.

 

[Sobriquet]

“We realize Senate Democrats would like to reduce this President’s constitutional powers,” the White House official said.

jfc

 

[Linkura]

Burying the lede a bit there in the OP.

Brass tacks:

Yupppppppppp

As soon as I read NY in the OP, I knew exactly what the Orange Cheeto was doing.

 

[Harrison Bergeron]

Trying the ol' end-around on Mueller's end-around.

I'm curious who would have advised him of this strategy, you know he didn't come up with this himself.

 

[FyreWulff]

Personally wanting a kiss ass in those positions is suspect, but man, only doing it specifically for the districts that could indict him or his buddies is blatant as fuck

 

[Escape Goat]

Trump knows nobody will oppose him. May as well put your guys in.

 

[D4Danger]

I bet he has a little mock film crew so he can pretend he's on tv

 

[Jintor]

what's trumps legal knowledge on a 1-10 scale?

excluding the sections on bankruptcy