Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was narrowly confirmed by the Senate on Saturday to lead the Justice Department on a permanent basis under President Trump.
Blanche’s nomination was approved in a 50-49 vote, with two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), voting with all Democrats against his confirmation.
“Mr. Blanche is nominated to one of the most important offices in our country, and he has shown that he’s up to that task,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said ahead of the vote. “His impressive background and the presentation at our hearing in the Judiciary Committee are proof that he’s led the Justice Department with distinction and is well suited to continue doing that.”
Grassley added, “Between his proven track record, his presentations to our committee and the support he’s received from across the country, I am convinced Mr. Blanche is the right choice to lead the Justice Department.”
“A vote for Todd Blanche is a vote for the safety of the American people.”
Blanche’s path to confirmation was precarious, with his nomination repeatedly appearing in doubt.
Senators from both sides of the aisle expressed concerns over his handling of the release of documents related to notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein and a May 19 DOJ order that authorized the creation of $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and granted Trump, his family and business entities immunity from IRS audits as part of the settlement of a lawsuit the president filed against the tax-collecting agency.
Blanche, who was serving as acting attorney general when the order was signed, had declared the fund “dead” during his July 15 hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but his confirmation vote was delayed after Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) demanded a “written document” affirming that and clarifying whether the president and his family were shielded from future IRS audits.
Blanche’s nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week in a 12-10 vote along party lines.
With Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) absent due to ongoing health issues, Blanche could only afford to lose two GOP votes in the full Senate.
Ahead of the final confirmation vote, Murkowski and Collins announced they would not support Blanche, citing his handling of the Epstein files, the Trump-IRS settlement and what they described as an increasingly politicized DOJ that has repeatedly gone after the president’s political enemies.
That left Sen. Bill Cassidy’s vote as make-or-break for Blanche’s nomination.
Cassidy (R-La.), who voted to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6, 2021, lost his primary race in May after Trump endorsed his opponent.
The Louisiana Republican faulted Blanche for having “showed poor judgment in approving the anti-weaponization slush fund and exempting the president from IRS audits,” as well as allowing the DOJ to target the president’s political enemies, but ultimately concluded: “I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”
Blanche – a 51-year-old Colorado native and Trump’s former personal lawyer – has been the acting head of the Justice Department since April 2, when the president elevated him from his deputy attorney general post after firing Pam Bondi.
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