‘I Don’t Know What You Mean’: Blanche Dodges When Pressed on Trump Wanting Reflecting Pool Charges Revived
Attorney General Todd Blanche was grilled about a request from the Trump White House to re-explore the prosecution of former Olympic canoeist David Hearn over vandalism at the Washington, D.C., reflecting pool as he took questions from reporters on Wednesday.
Blanche, who was confirmed to the AG role permanently in an early-morning vote on Saturday, was asked for an update on the case, a day after it emerged that White House officials have asked that the DOJ “consider a new prosecution” against Hearn.
Blanche skirted the question, claiming he was unaware of the White House request, which was reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week.
“I don’t know what you mean by the White House has asked us to do that, but no, I don’t have an update on that,” Blanche said.
He added: “I think there’s been a lot of comments and source-based comments about what, if anything, is happening with that case through the judge ruled in that case or what is the ruling. I don’t have an update, no.”
Hearn, a canoeist who participated in three Summer Olympics, had been slapped with a felony charge of destruction of government property until D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice last month.
At the time, she admitted the “damage” to the reflecting pool stemmed from a bungled renovation, not vandalism.
President Donald Trump, clearly enraged by the move, later attacked Pirro, saying she made a mistake and “folded like an umbrella!”
Trump has also falsely claimed there is “video” evidence of the vandalism being committed.
Commenting on the reported demand to revive the case, Hearn’s attorney Norm Eisen reacted with absolute fury, saying it was “OUTRAGEOUS!” to bring “back a case that the DOJ lost by its own admission that it lacked evidence to convict.”
Watch above via Fox News.
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