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US judge asks Justice Department: Will you oppose Trump?
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A lawsuit requires a level of adverseness between the two parties, and there can be no space for a dispute if the opponents are obligated to follow US President Donald Trump’s assessment of the law, explained one professor.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Andrew Duehren
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire for total control over the historically independent Justice Department, publicly directing prosecutions and declaring that government lawyers must follow his interpretation of the law.
It is a norm-busting approach that has resulted in criminal investigations into several of his perceived political enemies. But his extraordinary influence over the department is now a potential obstacle to one of Mr Trump’s other apparent goals: receiving a US$10 billion (S$12.7 billion) payout from the government he leads.
