Blanche dodges questions on investigating Democrats

Attorney General Todd Blanche dodged questions on Sunday on whether he would open investigations into Democratic members of Congress following President Trump’s remarks to look into claims of a “criminal act.”

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche was asked about Trump ordering investigations against Congressional Democrats for calling for the impeachment of certain cabinet officials.

“Well, what we‘ve seen over the past several days and even over the past several weeks are outright threats,” the attorney general said. “They‘ve threatened donors. They’ve threatened individuals who are in college and might want to work for conservative institutions or for a conservative government or for President Trump. And that is extremely troubling.”

“They’re already talking about investigations and impeachments with no basis, no facts, just out there running around. That should be something that President Trump is very concerned about and certainly I am as well,” Blanche continued.

Host Dana Bash responded, stating Democrats were “talking about investigation as part of their oversight role. That is prescribed by the constitution.”

“They have a very unique role in oversight, I agree,” Blanche said. “Have you been listening to the rhetoric the past couple of days?”

The attorney general expressed he had heard talks of impeachment and going after private companies who made government investments, remarking this was “not oversight.”

“So are you saying that you are going to investigate them? And what you just described is there a crime there,” Bash asked.

“It depends on what‘s said,” he said. “So yes…you have free speech in this country. You are allowed to be critical of President Trump, of me, of this administration. But when the threats become so vile and so dangerous that you are telling people in college that they better be careful if they want to work in the Trump administration, because somebody will come after them at some point. You have to draw the line.”

Blanche’s leadership at the DOJ has faced renewed scrutiny following Tuesday’s elections, including for the department’s intervention in Alaska’s Senate election and defense of White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) have already floated the idea of impeaching Blanche following Democrats regained control of the House and Senate.