CNN reporter Manu Raju asked acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about California Gov. Gavin Newsom's accusations against the Justice Department, only to be cut off by a spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
Meeting Interrupted
Raju was with other reporters during Blanche's meeting with Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, ahead of Blanche's confirmation hearing for the official attorney general position. He asked what was on many people's minds Monday.
“The Justice Department is investigating Gavin Newsom. Can you explain that?” he queried. Blanche said, “I’m not—” before Grassley told Raju, “This is not a news conference. This is just whatever you—”
Raju pressed on. “The governor’s accusing you of political retribution, and the president.” Blanche began again, “I will say—” Grassley then turned to his spokesperson, Clare Slattery, to play bad cop. “Am I right, Clare?” She said off-camera, “All right, guys, that’s enough,” before the clip cuts off.
No Response in Hallway Chase
Raju also tried to get a response from Blanche in a hallway chase, but had no luck. Newsom juiced the news cycle by accusing President Donald Trump and the Justice Department of investigating him and his family for political retribution without cause. “Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” he said. “He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.”
But CNN's Kaitlan Collins said a source disputed part of Newsom's claim before airing the Raju clip. “A source tells CNN tonight that there’s no investigation directly into Newsom himself, but rather the Eastern District of California is leading probes into people close to him,” she said. “That does include his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, over possible tax-related crimes. A source tells our team that Justice Department leadership that was put in place by President Trump was not involved in this investigation’s origin.”
The DOJ has previously launched vengeance-fueled prosecutions of New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. Trump has brazenly gone after perceived political enemies in his second term, according to reports.
