CHIEF CRITICS
Blanche’s appointment to attorney general exposed deep concerns, including from Republicans, that the hiring of a personal Trump ally will threaten the historic independence of the Justice Department from the White House. He’s been slammed by senators, representatives and outside critics, including Jeffrey Epstein survivor Annie Farmer who spoke to the Senate regarding the DOJ’s handling of unredacted victim information in released Epstein case files. She urged senators to reject his confirmation, saying she found Blanche to be “abrasive” and “condescending,” and describing his outreach to abuse survivors as a “check-the-box exercise” designed to secure confirmation votes. Skye Perryman, president of the legal watchdog group Democracy Forward that sued over the DOJ’s anti-weaponization fund, criticized the Blanche concessions as non-court-enforceable. She said the DOJ and Blanche “want to have their cake and eat it too,” and accused him of seeking to “preserve favor with the president through refusing to make real commitments backed up in court regarding the operation and future of the fund”.
Read more Iran Says U.S. Must Meet Demands Before Strait Of Hormuz Reopens
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“These hollow words are an affront to the American people, Congress and the courts, and are clearly designed to lull Senators Cornyn and Tillis into a false sense that their legitimate concerns have been addressed while leaving Blanche’s corrupt scheme fully intact,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said of Blanche’s consessions.
Read more Max Miller Rally Cancelled Over ‘Threats’ Amid Abuse Allegations And Calls For His Resignation
Key background
Since he was appointed acting attorney general in April, Blanche has aggressively pursued criminal investigations and indictments against prominent Trump critics and political foes. He indicted former FBI director James Comey twice, including on charges over a social media post that were slammed by conservative First Amendment advocates. He secured an indictment against the civil rights organization Southern Poverty Law Center, and has pursued criminal inquiries into Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, former CIA Director John Brennan and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. He oversaw a massive turnover of staff who’d worked on Trump-related matters., including Jan. 6 prosecutions, and boasted that the department had fired over 200 prosecutors and agents. He also oversaw the release of millions of Jeffrey Epstein investigative documents, and was accused of prioritizing protecting political figures with extensive redactions while failing to adequately protect victim privacy.
Read more Natera Shares Soar Over 20% To All-Time High, Bolstering Co-Founder’s Billionaire Status
further reading
ForbesTodd Blanche’s Latest Trump IRS Immunity Deal Is No Concession At AllBy Howard GleckmanForbesTrump Confirms He Didn’t Sign Order Killing $1.8 Billion Fund—Signaling It Might Be RevivedBy Alison Durkee