Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General Amidst Deep Divisions
Razor-thin Senate vote secures appointment after concessions on 'anti-weaponization fund' and tax immunity for Trump.
Callum Smith
Todd Blanche secured confirmation as Attorney General by a razor-thin majority.
Cassidy stated the choice lay between Todd Blanche and another acting attorney general who might not run the department effectively under President Trump, acknowledging Blanche was not perfect.
Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis ultimately agreed to vote for Blanche after receiving written assurances.
Blanche pledged to walk back the controversial 'anti-weaponization' fund during his confirmation hearings; this fund was proposed to allocate $1.8 billion to victims of 'lawfare'. Critics, including Senator Murkowski, feared the fund would benefit individuals prosecuted for their involvement in the January 6 attack on Congress.
It remains unclear whether Blanche’s commitment to walk back the fund is legally binding. Former President Trump could later persuade Blanche to revive a similar scheme under a different name.
Blanche continues to operate as the president’s personal lawyer, treating the justice department like a law firm serving one client: the president.
Senators raised concerns that Blanche could use the Department of Justice to pursue Trump’s political adversaries as Attorney General. Indeed, the Department of Justice reportedly indicted former FBI director James Comey twice, New York attorney general Letitia James, and the Southern Poverty Law Center during Blanche's tenure.
The department also reportedly attempted to bring criminal charges against Democratic senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly. It reportedly used its investigative powers against former Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell.
The Justice Department reportedly moved to indict Comey on charges of threatening the 47th president by posting a social media photograph of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47.”
Blanche has also reportedly appointed Joseph diGenova to oversee a Florida-based investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired over the last decade to undermine Trump. Republican senators had expressed concern over the department's deal to create the $1.8 billion fund and to grant the president, his sons, and business tax immunity.
Senator Dick Durbin claimed Blanche continues to operate as the president’s personal lawyer, treating the justice department like a law firm serving one client: the president. Former President Trump reportedly seeks his Department of Justice to pursue political prosecutions against his foes and to go on the offense to restore 'justice' for his allies and friends.
The Senate majority leader, John Thune, Trump, and Senate conservatives reached a deal to postpone a vote on a budget resolution. They deferred action on a significant portion of the SAVE America Act until after a five-week recess.
Pam Bondi was fired before Blanche took the interim role. The department's rollout of files related to Jeffrey Epstein was reportedly sloppy, redacting information that should not have been redacted and leaving unredacted the names of victims that should have been kept private.
(Unnamed Source) indicated that The department's rollout of files related to Jeffrey Epstein was reportedly sloppy, redacting information that should not have been redacted and leaving unredacted the names of victims that should have been kept private.
Scores of career justice department attorneys have reportedly left the agency under his leadership. Department lawyers have also reportedly been rebuked by judges across the US for making misrepresentations to the court.