Trump Loyalist Todd Blanche Faces Scrutiny in Senate Judiciary Hearing for Attorney General Nomination
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Todd Blanche, a close Trump ally and nominee for attorney general, is set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee amid bipartisan alarm over his questionable conduct at the Justice Department and a controversial IRS settlement that benefited Trump and his businesses.
Todd Blanche, the former personal lawyer to President Trump and the administration’s handpicked nominee for attorney general, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. The hearing follows his earlier confirmation as deputy attorney general, after which he quickly assumed the role of acting attorney general, further consolidating Trump’s grip on the Justice Department.
Democrats on the committee are united in their opposition, recognizing the grave threat Blanche poses to the independence of the Justice Department. His confirmation now hinges on a handful of Republicans, some of whom—like Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn—have voiced concerns about Blanche’s involvement in a $1.8 billion settlement. This settlement, which established an anti-weaponization fund, effectively shielded Trump and his businesses from IRS audits, raising serious questions about corruption and abuse of power. A federal judge recently condemned the settlement as a blatant misuse of taxpayer money for political gain.
As acting attorney general, Blanche has overseen several politically charged investigations, including the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center, as well as a probe into the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit against Trump. The White House has lauded his performance, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a staunch Trump ally, called him “well qualified”—a claim that only underscores the partisan nature of this nomination.
Critics, led by Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin, argue that Blanche has utterly compromised the Justice Department’s independence by putting loyalty to Trump above the rule of law. A letter signed by approximately 1,200 former Justice Department employees urges the Senate to reject his nomination, citing the purge of career staff for politically motivated reasons. Blanche, dismissing the significance of this opposition, claimed the signatories represent only a small fraction of the department’s workforce and insisted he is willing to answer questions from both parties—though his record suggests otherwise.