Donald Trump’s Elections to fill senior Justice Department positions His most notable recent experiences have been the lawyers fighting to keep him out of prison. In an epic twist, they criminally defending the president-elect and fighting for his immunity from prosecution to leading the nation’s law enforcement and representing his administration in the Supreme Court.

Trump wants Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general – second place Ministry of Justice official – and Emil Bove as deputy attorney general. Trump has said he wants his attorney general to be Matt Gaetz, whose main Justice Department experience is being investigated by the sex trafficking division. In an investigation that ended last year at no cost. (He has denied any wrongdoing.) With or without Gaetz – resigned The president-elect’s announcement this week of Blanche and Bove from Congress — who will be the nation’s next top cop — suggests he’s trying to fill the department with true loyalists.

Unlike Gaetz, both Blanche and Bove have Justice Department experience as former prosecutors. They also gained criminal experience last year while defending Trump in several cases, including one in Manhattan state court. guilty verdicts Towards its customers. Announcement is being made Following the election, Trump said Bove would serve as deputy attorney general until Blanche’s Senate confirmation.

Trump’s two federal lawsuits looks like it’s coming to an end The New York state case, which they lost at trial because of his election, is still awaiting sentencing. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office until tuesday To update the Supreme Court on its stance on how it wants to proceed in light of Trump’s impending return to the White House. Trump has a separate advisor fourth criminal case (in Georgia state court), Steve Sadow in question while congratulating his fellow defense attorneys on their political promotions, saying he “never was a prosecutor and never will be.” Presidents cannot pardon or dismiss state cases.

Trump’s choice for attorney general – another high rank DOJ point and John Sauer, the federal government’s Supreme Court counsel. HE defended the objection Supreme Court majority appointed by Republicans given to Trump broad criminal immunity. Sauer’s other Supreme Court argumentThere was also a controversial objection in 2018, a death penalty case While I was Missouri’s attorney general. As in the immunity case, the court sided with Sauer’s client (the state). split decision The majority are appointed by Republicans. His Missouri experience also included: unsuccessfully challenge 2020 election results in key states.

If confirmed as attorney general, Sauer would regularly appear before a majority of like-minded justices to defend the Trump administration’s priorities. Unlike Trump’s non-DOJ picks other than Gaetz, Sauer has more traditional qualifications. In addition to working as Missouri’s attorney general, a prosecutor, and in private practice, he recently clerked for two well-regarded Supreme Court justices in GOP circles. Antonin Scaliaand J. in the federal appeals court. Michael Luttigthe latter is better known today speak out Against Trump.

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