No, the DOJ should not be independent of the Executive branch
Which is why it needs to be abolished
During the painful to endure Durham hearings last week, most of the back and forth was predictable and typical. Democrats continue to pretend the fabrication paid for by the Clinton campaign is “proof” that “Trump colluded with Russia.” After years of their bizarre lies, I still have no idea what they think that means. But at this point, they are all Groucho Marx: Whom do you believe? Me or your damned lying eyes?
One line of questioning leapt out at me. A representative from Vermont, Ms. Balint, asked John Durham is he believed the DOJ should be independent of the Executive Branch, meaning not answerable to the President.
I am glad she raised this idea, because the Constitutional answer is no, the Department of Justice should not be “independent” of the Executive Branch and therefore unanswerable to the President. Nowhere in the Constitution is this magical “Fourth Branch” of government to be found. It is - for better or really worse - a subsidiary of the Executive and therefore must be bound to follow the President’s wishes.
One of the main arguments for dismantling the FBI and the DOJ entirely is because they work for the President. Whether you are a Democrat who believes Donald Trump abused his authority to force the FBI to do “bad things,” or a Republican who believes Joe Biden is using his authority to force the FBI to do “bad things,” both of you should therefore realize why we do not need or want a Federal Department of Justice.
She asked Durham, “Mr. Trump, should the DOJ operate independently of the President?”
Clearly a slip of the tongue but she said it, so I am including it.
Durham answered “yes.”
He is wrong about that.
He immediately corrected himself to say that only during independent Investigations should the DOJ operate separately from the Executive Branch.
Whew!
The DOJ was a nice experiment that has run its course and proven to be a failure. The Executive Branch needs a lawyer or two and they can stay employed as such. But we are witnessing in real time the damage that can be done by tying a pack of lawyers with limitless resources to partisan interests.
Time to devolve more power back to the States. No more power centers in the penumbras that some see emanating from the Constitution, penumbras that most sane people fail to perceive.
Excellent concise and to the point essay.
penumbras, that is a most excellent B.S. word!