U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Aug. 3 that he opposes Todd Blanche’s nomination to be Attorney General, citing concerns about Blanche’s commitment to the rule of law and his recent actions involving former President Trump.
“Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a key vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination to be Attorney General… The position demands that the Attorney General be someone committed to the rule of law and the Constitution more than any one person or political party. This principle is exactly why Todd Blanche is the wrong person for this role,” Durbin said in a statement entered into the Congressional record.
Durbin addressed controversies related to Blanche’s involvement in establishing a January 6th slush fund and brokering an immunity deal for Trump family members from IRS prosecution. “Pardoning January 6 rioters and cop-beaters wasn’t enough for President Trump… So, two months ago, Blanche colluded with President Trump’s private lawyers to create a nearly $2 billion slush fund to benefit the January 6 mob that attacked the Capitol. When I met with Blanche earlier this month, he told me he recognized this decision for what it was: a ‘mistake.’ But when I asked him under oath, Blanche insisted that he never made this statement, displaying either a short memory or a dangerous willingness to lie for President Trump. When pressed during his hearing, Blanche even refused to directly condemn those who assaulted law enforcement officers on January 6th and would not commit to permanently ending this slush fund,” Durbin said.
He further criticized actions taken by Blanche regarding federal tax immunity and crypto enforcement: “Blanche has done more than just support the President’s allies—he has also used his position to directly enrich the President himself. Earlier this year, Blanche personally signed a document to provide President Trump, his family, and his businesses with immunity for any past federal tax law violations. And last year he dismantled DOJ’s crypto enforcement team and shut down ongoing investigations of the crypto industry—an industry that has made President Trump more than one billion dollars since returning to the White House. Blanche himself held crypto assets worth more than $150,000 at the time—and when he finally did divest himself of these assets, he did so by transferring them to his adult children and grandchild. It is hard to believe how Blanche could possibly be an honest broker as Attorney General—especially when he refuses to even admit that the Department of Justice should decide who to prosecute without political interference from the President,” Durbin said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee serves as a standing committee of the U.S. Senate based in Washington D.C., overseeing judicial nominations as well as legislative matters affecting constitutional protections and public safety nationwide, according to its official website. The committee includes senators from both major parties and plays an influential role in upholding civil rights through its oversight responsibilities.
Durbin concluded by urging Americans across political lines not to support Mr. Blanche’s nomination: “During his nomination hearing, one of my Republican colleagues asked Blanche if he and President Trump are friends. Blanche responded ‘I’m his lawyer.’ That Freudian slip sums up why he has been nominated… Todd Blanche’s DOJ has become one where the President and his allies are protected while ordinary Americans suffer and his perceived enemies are baselessly prosecuted. The position of Attorney General is too important to be held by someone unwilling to say no to the President, which is exactly why I will be voting no on his nomination,” Durbin said.