US attorney general Dana Boente is considered a political survivor for not facing Trump’s wrath by being fired. Dana’s predecessor, Sally Q. Yates, while still in an acting capacity was fired by Trump for refusing to defend his controversial travel ban. This is the precise moment when Dana Boente was appointed as attorney general.
Trump also abruptly fired dozens of federal prosecutors from the Obama administration. Sally was deputy attorney general during Obama’s administration. When the president ousted the Obama era, federal prosecutors, he even tasked Boente with letting the prosecutors know they were fired.
How Dana Boente has been Implicated and Survived
Dana Boente heads the Justice Department which has recently been accused by Republicans alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for colluding against Donald Trump. The allegations came about when the Republican caucus of the House intelligence Committee implied that a memo implicated two government organs of misusing surveillance tools on Carter Page, Trump’s former campaign advisor. Republicans, therefore, rallied for the memo to be declassified and released to the public. Boente is one of the Justice Department officials who signed off on the decision to mount surveillance on Carter Page.
The memo has recently sparked Republican rage upon prosecutors in the Justice Department. It has caused a number of prosecutors to be fired, others reassigned or departed amid the uproar. Among those affected by the uproar is Boente’s predecessor James Baker, the general counsel who has since been removed from the position. Speculation also surrounded deputy attorney general Rosenstein and senior counsel Robert Mueller. They were rumored to be dismissed in regards to the contents of the memo. Despite the predicament of some of Boente’s colleagues, he has weathered the political storm and remained unscathed in his position.
However, Boente has not completely averted criticism against him. He was among officials slammed by Sean Hannity, a Fox News host. He was accused of taking part in the Page warrant. Liberals state that Boente’s willingness to enforce Trump’s dirty policies destroys his reputation. One of these policies is the travel ban that caused Sally Q’s dismissal.
Boente Continues to Rise
The attorney general’s career, on the contrary, continues to rise. Christopher Wray, the FBI Director selected him as general counsel. The position pits Boente into FBI’s inner operations during a wild time when Republicans squabble with the FBI and Justice Department.
Others like the former attorney general Loretta Lynch, describe him as a utility player willing to pinch and hit for the Trump administration. His station has, therefore, propelled him to land influential positions in the US government.
