Former Trump administration White House attorney Ty Cobb was not at all shocked on Monday to hear reports that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is under federal investigation — but was saddened at the state of the Justice Department.
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“I’m not surprised that [Newsom] would announce it,” Cobb told MS NOW’s Katy Tur, responding to the official video announcement from his office. “I think that’s a smart move. There’s no reason to hide it.”
Cobb added that the fact that the investigation exists at all is predictable, too, noting that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth opened a probe into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) — also frequently discussed as a presidential candidate — over his participation in a video reminding troops they can refuse illegal orders. “Newsom’s a potential presidential candidate. I think most presidential candidates, just like most presidential candidates, should expect that they will be met with abuses of this sort.”
Tur soon followed up by asking Cobb how acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has achieved such a political stranglehold over the rank and file in federal law enforcement. “Why do they go along with what appeared to be political, the political retribution that Donald Trump desires?”
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“That’s an excellent question,” said Cobb. “I think it’s sad, obviously.”
The issue, he argued, happened with Blanche’s predecessor, Pam Bondi, who “made it clear early on in the Great Hall of Justice that she was dedicating her role and her office and her entire department to serving Trump, not the Constitution.” And Blanche has continued this on, said Cobb, from his prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey to his involvement in the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization” slush fund to pay out Trump’s allies who were criminally charged in the past.
“I think this is really a tragedy that we have such a lack of character among public servants these days,” Cobb added. “And hopefully some will come forward with courage and with integrity.”
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