Blanche confirmation hearings open as senators weigh conflicts

Former Trump lawyer faces scrutiny over recusal stance

Todd Blanche, whom President Donald Trump has nominated to serve as permanent attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in what Roll Call described as “his biggest public test” in his confirmation bid. Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April.

The panel’s two-day hearing will feature Blanche on the first day and outside witnesses on the second, according to Roll Call. The committee includes a pair of undecided Republicans whose votes could determine whether Blanche advances to the full Senate, the outlet reported.

At no time during his prior testimony did Blanche commit to recusal from matters involving Trump, Roll Call reported. The question of recusal has been a central issue for lawmakers evaluating his nomination, given his previous work as Trump’s personal attorney.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said ahead of the hearings that “Democrats are going to fight this confirmation with everything we have,” according to Federal News Network. Schumer added that “if Republicans have any respect for the rule of law, they’ll do the same.” The biggest test for Blanche’s nomination is expected to come in the committee, Federal News Network reported, where some Republicans have expressed reservations.

MSI previously reported that several GOP senators said the Justice Department’s proposed $1.776 billion settlement fund — which would have provided compensation to individuals who say they were politically targeted — must be “effectively dead” before they would support Blanche’s confirmation. The DOJ subsequently abandoned that fund, though a separate settlement providing Trump with IRS audit immunity has remained in place.

Claire Finkelstein wrote in an opinion piece published by The Guardian that unless this week’s hearings paint a very different picture than Blanche’s last confirmation hearing, “the Senate must strike a blow for the rule of law and reject him for cause.”

More than 1,200 former Justice Department employees sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of the hearings urging lawmakers to reject Blanche’s nomination. The letter, organized by the nonprofit Justice Connection, argued that Blanche’s leadership has prioritized loyalty to Trump over the Constitution and overseen the departure of more than 16,000 employees, with signatories warning of a “generational impact” from the loss of experienced career staff.

An opinion piece published by The Hill described the nomination as “an existential test for the rule of law” and characterized Blanche as “President Trump’s personal fixer and enforcer.”

The Dispatch noted that the Senate “can’t stop Blanche from serving out the remainder of Donald Trump’s term, but that’s no reason it should bless the president’s contempt for the rule of law.”