Todd Blanche faces Senate scrutiny and survivor criticism amid confirmation
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of President Donald Trump's nomination, with Republican insiders expressing confidence in his confirmation despite concerns raised by Democrats and advocacy groups, according to Yahoo News Canada. The committee scheduled a hearing, and NPR reported that Blanche faced bipartisan questions about his conduct at the Justice Department and a disputed IRS settlement. During the hearing, Senator John Cornyn and other Republicans queried him on a provision granting audit immunity and on a $1. 8 billion fund linked to a Trump lawsuit against the IRS, as detailed by The New York Times.
NPR added that senators also pressed Blanche on the status of an anti-weaponization fund, his prior work for President Trump, and the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. NBC News noted that Blanche defended his ties to Trump while being questioned about Epstein documents and the fund, and a newly released audio clip described a boat emergency involving teen Nolan Wells. Following the hearing, PBS reported that Blanche met with representatives of Epstein’s accusers after a Republican senator said the encounter was required for his confirmation, though Blanche said he could not promise further prosecutions. Later, CNBC cited survivors who said the meeting was unsatisfactory, while Senator Thom Tillis said he appreciated Blanche’s participation as part of the confirmation process.
