Dane Boente, one of the most powerful U.S. attorneys in the country who has also served as a top official in President Trump’s Justice Department, is stepping down, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
As U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Boente has overseen a number of key investigations and prosecutions, and the office has been involved in the federal Russian election meddling investigation. A number of national security agencies sit in the Eastern District, putting his office at the center of many terrorism cases. Boente is also the acting assistant attorney general of the National Security Division of the Justice Department.
After Sally Yates was fired from her role as acting Attorney General for refusing to defend Trump’s travel ban, Boente served in that role temporarily as well. He also served as acting deputy attorney general in the early days of the Trump administration.
According to the Post’s report, he will not leave that until the official Trump’s pick for assistant attorney general of the National Security Division, John C. Demers, is confirmed. Trump has not yet nominated someone to succeed Boente as U.S. Attorney the Eastern District of Virginia.
Trump has reportedly been interviewing personally potential U.S. attorney nominees for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, both of which are also conducting investigations into Trump associates. For the President to get personally involved in that interview process is very uncommon, and has attracted criticism from Democrats.
“Trump has reportedly been interviewing personally potential U.S. attorney nominees for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, both of which are also conducting investigations into Trump associates.”
This is one more egregious act, with impunity I presume, on the part of the president. These acts must stop, or be stopped by a responsible group of public officials.
I’ve been asking for months what the story was with this guy. Obama, on his way out the door, seemed to try to take this guy out of the loop on Russia. Then Trump put him back in. Now he’s leaving. Maybe he was always planning to leave and was asked to stay on for a bit, but I’d love to get an answer on how he’s connected.
So what’s the deal here…more attempt to interfere with the investigation? Or is this guy just retiring? I can just imagine he had a convo that went somethign like this though: “Dane, Dane, Dane…you’ve got what…10, 15 years left if you’re lucky and the ole ticker doesn’t give out early? Shame if you had to spend them in a box…”
So dishonest donald gets another shot at obstructing justice.
MAMC, Make America More Corrupt.
There’s only one possible explanation: covfefe