Feinstein: Trump should not be interviewing U.S. attorney candidates

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) blasted the Trump administration on Thursday in the wake of a Politico report saying he personally conducted interviews for at least two of the potential candidates for U.S. attorney positions in New York. 

“President Trump should NOT be interviewing US attorney candidates, especially those from NY—where he has personal & business interests,” Feinstein, who is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. 

“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.” 

President Trump should NOT be interviewing US attorney candidates, especially those from NY—where he has personal & business interests.

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) October 19, 2017

Feinstein’s comments come after Politico reported that the president had personally interviewed two corporate lawyers to be nominees for U.S. attorney posts. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who also serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee overseeing the candidate’s confirmations, said he is considering opposing the nominations.

{mosads}”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,” Blumenthal told Politico. “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.”

Trump reportedly spoke with Geoffrey Berman for the U.S. attorney post in the Southern District of New York, and Ed McNally for the Eastern District of New York. 

The White House did not deny the report and defended the president’s right to interview candidates for the position. 

“We realize Senate Democrats would like to reduce this President’s constitutional powers,” a White House official told Politico. “But he and other presidents before him and after may talk to individuals nominated to positions within the executive branch.”

It is highly unusual for a president to interview candidates, given that U.S. attorneys are meant to act independently of the executive branch. 

Trump’s reported move also raises eyebrows given that Trump has major business interests in New York. 

New York City is the home of the Trump Organization, along with several Trump properties. 

The president said prior to taking office that he would handing over the reins of his business empire to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.