Todd Blanche, who previously represented Donald Trump in criminal and federal cases, has been confirmed as the US Attorney General after a narrowly split Senate vote.Blanche secured the position by 50-49 early Saturday, becoming the head of the Justice Department after months of questions from lawmakers over his independence and his handling of several controversial issues.Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against him, joining Democrats. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana backed Blanche and provided the vote needed for his confirmation.
From Trump’s lawyer to attorney general
Blanche joined the Trump administration as deputy attorney general and had been serving as acting attorney general since April.Before entering government, he was part of Trump’s legal team. He represented the president in the New York case involving a payment made before the 2016 election and also worked on the federal cases brought by former special counsel Jack Smith over Trump’s actions after the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents.
Controversy over Justice Department fund
Blanche’s confirmation faced resistance over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund created by the Justice Department as part of a settlement linked to Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS.The arrangement also included protections from tax investigations for Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization.During negotiations with Republican senators, Blanche agreed to end the fund and narrowed the scope of the tax-related protection. Those changes helped secure the support of Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had initially raised concerns about his nomination.
Blanche now takes charge of DOJ
With his confirmation, Blanche becomes the permanent head of the Justice Department after serving as its acting leader for several months.His confirmation followed weeks of negotiations with Republican senators, who raised concerns about the department’s independence and Blanche’s role in decisions involving Trump and his allies.
