U.S. justice department confirmation battle tests Todd Blanche independence

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Blanche confirmation independence

Highlights

Todd Blanche faces bipartisan Senate scrutiny over Trump ties and legal independence, critical for permanent confirmation as acting U.S. Attorney General.
Blanche declares $1.8bn anti-weaponisation fund tied to Trump's $10bn IRS lawsuit 'dead' after concerns from Republican senator John Cornyn about potential revival.
More than 1,200 ex-justice department employees urge Blanche's rejection, and Democrats signal likely unified opposition, narrowing his path to confirmation.

Senate hearing centres on loyalty and legal limits

As reported by Financial Times, Blanche faces bipartisan questioning as lawmakers weigh whether to confirm him permanently as the nation’s top law enforcement official. His ties to Trump are under particular scrutiny because he moved into the role after predecessor Pam Bondi was pushed out in April, when the president was frustrated by what he viewed as a slow pace of prosecutions against opponents.

Blanche tells the Senate judiciary committee that he wants to earn lawmakers’ trust and says the department is keeping America safe, pointing to his background as a career prosecutor. He says he would resign if asked to act illegally, but also stresses that he serves at the pleasure of the president.

The acting attorney-general draws fresh attention when he says of Trump, “I’m his lawyer,” before correcting himself to “Was his lawyer.” Senator Adam Schiff later calls the remark a “Freudian slip”, while Trump writes on social media before the hearing that his former attorney stood by his side and is doing a “PHENOMENAL” job.

Lawmakers also press Blanche over Trump’s pardons for January 6 rioters. Blanche says those who injured law enforcement should have been prosecuted and were, but adds that he does not question Trump’s authority or decision to issue the pardons, an answer that could matter for Republican Thom Tillis, who says the issue is central to winning his vote.

Fund dispute and prosecutions deepen confirmation risks

The $1.8bn “anti-weaponisation” fund becomes another sticking point in the hearing. Blanche says the fund, approved to compensate Trump’s political allies under a settlement in the president’s $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, is “dead” and “not moving forward” after Republican senator John Cornyn questions whether it could return.

Cornyn later says he still has concerns and is not ready to make a decision. The political arithmetic is especially tight because the unexpected death of senator Lindsey Graham leaves Republicans with only one vote to lose on the committee.

Democrats use the hearing to highlight the department’s actions since Blanche took over, including prosecutions of Trump’s perceived adversaries and moves that benefit his allies. They also criticise his oversight of the release of millions of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, with Senator Cory Booker arguing that Blanche’s record matters more than his assurances of independence.

Outside the hearing room, opposition is also building. More than 1,200 former justice department employees sign a letter urging the committee to reject the nomination, saying Blanche has failed to uphold his constitutional oath, while Democrats signal after the hearing that they are likely to oppose his confirmation unanimously.

Our earlier coverage of the Senate hearings on subpoenas for New York Times journalists examined how lawmakers challenged Justice Department nominees over a leak probe tied to reporting on security weaknesses in Trump’s new Air Force One. We noted that Todd Blanche and Jay Clayton defended the subpoenas as part of a national security investigation, while senators and the newspaper raised press-freedom concerns as the dispute moved toward a court fight.

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