President Trump nominates acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for Senate confirmation

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will ask the Senate to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, replacing Pam Bondi, who was dismissed in early April. Blanche, who has been serving in an acting capacity for more than two months, is also the deputy attorney general and previously acted as a criminal-defense lawyer for Trump after the former president left office.

The nomination follows a Justice Department settlement that granted Trump, his family and the Trump Organization immunity from IRS prosecution related to pre-settlement tax returns. Blanche has been criticized by several senators, including some Republicans, over his role in authorizing an "Anti-Weaponization Fund" tied to that settlement. The $1.8 billion fund was intended to compensate individuals who claimed they were harmed by prosecutorial actions during the previous administration.

During a June 2 hearing before a House subcommittee, Blanche said the Justice Department had abandoned the fund after criticism and a federal injunction, but he did not provide a written confirmation of that decision. Lawsuits challenging the fund’s legality remain pending.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) questioned Blanche about a potential conflict of interest, noting that the Save America political action committee had paid him nearly $10 million to serve as Trump’s personal defense attorney. Blanche responded that he did not see a conflict.

Bondi previously told a House oversight committee that Blanche was responsible for complying with a law requiring the release of Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein, a process that has drawn scrutiny over redactions and document withholding.

Blanche also oversaw the handling of three criminal cases involving Trump. Two federal indictments related to the 2020 election and the handling of classified documents were dropped after Trump became president in 2024, citing a department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. A state-court conviction in May 2024 resulted in 34 felony counts for falsifying business records tied to a hush-money payment; Trump received an unconditional discharge shortly before his inauguration.