Some questions and answers about how the White House and Justice Department interact " and how the system actually works:Q: DO PRESIDENTS OVERSEE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT? Long-standing protocol dictates that the FBI and Justice Department operate free of political influence or meddling from the White House. A: Justice Department officials have long considered it imperative that their investigations not be politicized or tainted by suspicions of interference by the White House or other elected leaders. During the Watergate scandal, for instance, President Richard Nixon refused to turn over White House audiotapes to Archibald Cox, a special prosecutor investigating the matter. A: The White House has typically balked at questions about the status of Justice Department investigations.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 23, 2016 08:24 UTC