Letter to the Hon. Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee - After Dana Boente's Forced Resignation, Sen. Coons Requests Judiciary Hearing on Presidential Interference With Doj, Demands Answers From Ag Sessions, Rosenstein

Letter

Dear Chairman Grassley:

I am writing to request that the Senate Judiciary Committee hold a hearing to examine potential presidential interference with U.S. Attorneys' offices. My request is based on a series of events that leave me concerned that President Trump does not respect the important boundaries between politics and the prosecutorial decisions of U.S. Attorneys within the Department of Justice.

Recently, I sought additional information from the Department of Justice regarding the resignation of U.S. Attorney and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Dana Boente, but I have not received a response. Mr. Boente has had an impressive career as a federal prosecutor. President Trump's reported demand for his resignation, the sudden nature of its timing, its proximity to the indictments issued by Special Counsel Mueller, and reported connections between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the investigations of Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, leave me concerned that this resignation was not business as usual.

Mr. Boente's resignation is merely the latest in a series of events that have left me concerned that the President does not comply with norms honoring the independence of the Department of Justice, which is vital to our democratic system of government. From the prior dismissal of 45 U.S. Attorneys without any successors in place, to President Trump's interviews with U.S. Attorney candidates in jurisdictions with oversight of his and his family's businesses, to the President's attempts to cultivate a loyalty relationship with former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara before firing him, I cannot take on faith that this dismissal was normal or justified.

I recognize that U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, and it is customary to request the resignations of U.S. Attorneys appointed by previous presidents. However, I believe this pattern of events warrants the scrupulous oversight of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I

respectfully request that the Senate Judiciary Committee hold a hearing to examine potential presidential interference with U.S. Attorneys' offices.

Sincerely,

Christopher A. Coons

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