Blanche: Obama's concerns about DOJ targeting Trump critics are "extraordinarily rich"

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche denied to CBS News that the Justice Department is engaging in a retribution campaign against President Trump's adversaries, pushing back on criticism from former President Barack Obama — but he argued Mr. Trump has vast power to oversee the agency. The Justice Department — which Blanche has led since last month after serving as second-in-command — has faced months of scrutiny for bringing criminal charges against Trump foes, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Critics also argue the department, which has historically maintained an arms-length relationship with the White House, is losing its traditional reputation as an apolitical agency. In an interview with CBS News in Phoenix Wednesday, Blanche called allegations that his department is leading a retribution campaign "simply false," saying prosecutors are "doing our jobs" and "making America safe again." He said the latest Comey indictment, which accused the former FBI director of threatening the 47th president by posting a photo of seashells arranged to form the numbers "86 47," was just one of the thousands of cases brought by the Justice Department every year. He insisted the case was spearheaded by "local prosecutors" and "local agents." "I don't even know their names," Blanche said of the North Carolina-based federal prosecutors. …