President Trump formally nominated Todd Blanche as attorney general, setting up a Senate fight over the former Trump lawyer’s leadership of the Justice Department.
WASHINGTON — President Trump formally nominated Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general on Monday, moving to install his former criminal defense lawyer as the permanent head of the Justice Department after more than two months in the role on an acting basis.
The White House sent Blanche’s nomination to the Senate after Trump signaled last week that he planned to seek confirmation for him. The nomination places Blanche before senators who have already questioned his judgment, his prior work for Trump and the department’s recent handling of politically sensitive matters.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. He previously spent just over a year as deputy attorney general, the department’s No. 2 job, with responsibility for its criminal and national security work.
His confirmation path could be complicated by skepticism from Democrats and at least some Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is leaving Congress in January, told reporters last week that he had not decided whether to support Blanche in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Tillis said the “key” to earning his support would be for Blanche to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Blanche is also likely to face questions over a proposed “anti-weaponization fund” that drew bipartisan criticism in recent weeks. The fund, described in the sources as roughly $1.8 billion, was tied to a settlement between Trump and the government over the leaking of his tax returns and was designed to pay claims from people alleging government persecution.
Democrats criticized the plan as a benefit for Trump allies, while some Republicans worried it could be used by people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 attack or other crimes. Blanche told lawmakers last week that the Justice Department was not moving forward with the fund after a judge blocked it, and the department confirmed in a court filing that it would not proceed. CNBC reported that lawsuits challenging the fund remain pending.
The nomination also comes after scrutiny of other actions under Blanche’s leadership. CNBC reported that Blanche had the Justice Department give Trump, his family members and the Trump Organization immunity from prosecution or enforcement actions by the Internal Revenue Service tied to tax returns filed before the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Blanche told a House subcommittee that the agreement would remain in effect.
Democrats have signaled they will press Blanche on whether he can lead the Justice Department independently from the president. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sharply criticized the nomination Monday, saying in a statement that Trump had been engaged in “the most corrupt enterprise in the history of the Presidency” and that Blanche “apparently has not noticed.”
Blanche has rejected allegations that Trump is directing prosecutors to pursue his adversaries. He has defended the department’s record by pointing to its work on violent crime, gangs, drugs, immigration and fraud, and told lawmakers last week the department had made “tremendous progress” in reducing violent crime. On Fox News Saturday, he said his main objective as attorney general would be carrying out the president’s public safety priorities.
Before entering Trump’s orbit, Blanche worked as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and later at major law firms. He joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and represented him in criminal matters including the New York hush money case, the federal election interference case and the classified documents case.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will now control the first stage of Blanche’s confirmation fight. The timing of a hearing and vote was not included in the supplied reports, but his nomination is expected to reopen debate over the Justice Department’s independence, the abandoned fund and Blanche’s past work as Trump’s personal attorney.
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