{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-boente-forced-resignation-president-trump-is-signaling-that-he-is-asserting-his-authority-over-the-department-of-justice", "[VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Boente forced resignation: “President Trump is signaling that he is asserting his authority over the Department of Justice”", "2017-11-09", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Christopher Coons", "C001088", "www.coons.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.09.17\n\t\t\t [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on Boente forced resignation: \u201cPresident Trump is signaling that he is asserting his authority over the Department of Justice\u201d \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Sen. Coons: \u201cI am concerned about an abrupt action by the president given ways that this investigation is closing in on his inner circle.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, yesterday joined Hardball with Chris Matthews to discuss his letter to Attorney General Sessions on the forced resignation of U.S. Attorney Dana Boente.\r\n\u201cI\u2019ll remind you that when\u00a0the former FBI Director James\u00a0Comey was fired initially there\u00a0were offered reasons that had to\u00a0do with his handling of Hillary\u00a0Clinton's e-mail investigation.\u00a0Then President Trump himself\u00a0went on national television and\u00a0said it had to do with the\u00a0Russia thing,\u201d said Senator Coons.\u00a0\u201cThe reason I sent a letter\u00a0questioning the timing and\u00a0the reasons behind the resignation\u00a0of Dana Boente was because of\u00a0this now-increasing pattern of\u00a0behavior by the president of\u00a0trying to interfere in this\u00a0ongoing investigation.\u00a0It's possible that this is\u00a0entirely without reason for\u00a0alarm, but I think the\u00a0circumstances around the\u00a0departure of Dana Boente raise\u00a0legitimate questions.\u201d\r\nFull video and audio available here.\r\nSenator Coons on Dana Boente: What concerns me, Chris, as I\u00a0mentioned in the letter that I\u00a0just sent to Attorney General\u00a0Sessions and Deputy Attorney\u00a0General Rosenstein is a whole\u00a0series of things surrounding the\u00a0abrupt firing of Dana Boente, a\u00a0popular, successful career\u00a0federal law enforcement\u00a0official, Eastern District of\u00a0Virginia, a U.S. Attorney.\u00a0According to public reports, he\u00a0had a grand jury that had issued\u00a0subpoenas against both Paul\u00a0Manafort and former National\u00a0Security Adviser Flynn, and the\u00a0timing, the proximity to when\u00a0there were indictments handed\u00a0down and the fact that it was\u00a0directed at just him rather than\u00a0others having been let go left\u00a0me with a whole series of\u00a0questions.\u00a0I expect to get answers out of\u00a0the attorney general or the\u00a0deputy attorney general, and if\u00a0I don't get a response, I will go\u00a0to the committee chair and press\u00a0for a response on behalf of the\u00a0committee.\u00a0 Senator Coons on whether this is part of President Trump\u2019s reach for more power: That's my concern.\u00a0As the investigation has gotten\u00a0closer and closer to the senior\u00a0levels of the Trump campaign,\u00a0the Trump administration, or even\u00a0members of the Trump family, I\u00a0am concerned that President\u00a0Trump will act in even more\u00a0irrational ways that may\u00a0undermine the rule of law.\u00a0That's why I have worked with\u00a0Republican Senator Thom Tillis\u00a0to introduce a bill that would\u00a0strengthen protections for\u00a0Special Counsel Robert Mueller.\u00a0I think that Senator Tillis wants to\u00a0strengthen the independence of\u00a0the Department of Justice.\u00a0I am concerned about an abrupt\u00a0action by the president given\u00a0ways that this investigation is\u00a0closing in on his inner circle.\u00a0 More on Boente: I\u2019ll remind you that when\u00a0the former FBI Director James\u00a0Comey was fired initially there\u00a0were offered reasons that had to\u00a0do with his handling of Hillary\u00a0Clinton's e-mail investigation.\u00a0Then President Trump himself\u00a0went on national television and\u00a0said it had to do with the\u00a0Russia thing.\u00a0The reason I sent a letter\u00a0questioning the timing and\u00a0the reasons behind the resignation\u00a0of Dana Boente was because of\u00a0this now-increasing pattern of\u00a0behavior by the president of\u00a0trying to interfere in this\u00a0ongoing investigation.\u00a0It's possible that this is\u00a0entirely without reason for\u00a0alarm, but I think the\u00a0circumstances around the\u00a0departure of Dana Boente raise\u00a0legitimate questions.\u00a0 More on whether President Trump is testing his authority: I am concerned about that.\u00a0Chris, let's go back to a point\u00a0you made quickly in passing\u00a0that's worth focusing on for a\u00a0moment.\u00a0If there were to be a situation\u00a0where the president orders, let's\u00a0say Rod Rosenstein to fire Robert\u00a0Mueller, he may then resign.\u00a0The leadership of the department\u00a0then passes to the number three,\u00a0and if she declines to do so, it\u00a0passes to number four.\u00a0Dana Boente was number four in\u00a0the Department of Justice.\u00a0This is since the attorney\u00a0general is recused in all\u00a0matters relating to the Mueller\u00a0investigation.\u00a0I do think, by insisting on his\u00a0own choice, President Trump is\u00a0signaling that he is asserting\u00a0his authority over the\u00a0Department of Justice.\u00a0I am equally troubled by reports\u00a0that the president has\u00a0personally interviewed\u00a0candidates for U.S. Attorney\u00a0positions in several key\u00a0jurisdictions.\u00a0That's inappropriate.\u00a0Attorney General Sessions\u00a0testified to our Judiciary\u00a0Committee in the Senate that\u00a0that was inappropriate.\u00a0I think we have got lots of\u00a0signals here that our president\u00a0doesn't understand the\u00a0appropriate boundaries.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tSean Coit at 202-224-5042 or\u00a0Sean_Coit@coons.senate.gov\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", 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