The U.S. Senate was to confirm former U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Todd Blanche as Attorney General on Friday (August 7) after Republicans dismissed Democrats’ warnings about the politicization of the Justice Department.
Blanche, who has been serving as acting U.S. Attorney General, previously represented Trump as his private attorney in several criminal cases before joining public service. Due to the Republicans’ slim majority in the Senate, his confirmation remained in question for some time. Two Republican senators stated they would not support the nomination; however, a third senator, Bill Cassidy, announced live on Friday that he would vote “for”. This is expected to secure Blanche‘s confirmation with the minimal possible majority, as all Democrats are expected to vote “against”.
Trump, who seeks to subordinate nominally independent federal agencies to his control, calls Blanche a “star”. Democrats have opposed his nomination from the beginning, accusing Trump of turning the Justice Department into a political tool. “The Attorney General should be the people’s lawyer,” said Senator Dick Durbin, the leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Mr. Blanche continues to act as the president’s personal attorney, treating the Justice Department as a law firm serving one client—the president.”
Controversial Proposals
One of the main controversies surrounding Blanche‘s nomination was his proposal to create a $1.8 billion fund for those whom Trump calls victims of politically motivated prosecutions. This could include participants in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot who attempted to prevent the certification of Joe Biden‘s victory in the 2020 election.
Another contentious point was the proposal to grant Trump immunity from tax audits. Ultimately, Blanche reduced resistance within the Republican Party by formally rescinding the proposed fund for victims of politicized prosecutions. He also stated that the agreement on tax audit immunity for Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization would apply only to past tax years and not to future declarations.
Previous Activities and Criticism
Blanche has been serving as acting Attorney General since April, when Trump fired Pam Bondi. Since then, he has been closely associated with what Democrats call a campaign of political “retribution” against Trump‘s opponents. Additionally, Blanche was criticized by victims of Jeffrey Epstein for how the materials of the investigation into the convicted sex offender were made public.
Before working at the Justice Department, Blanche defended Trump in the New York case involving hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. He was also part of the defense team in two federal cases that special prosecutor Jack Smith brought against Trump for mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House and attempting to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. Both cases were dismissed after Trump‘s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Source: Channel News Asia
