Senate committee gives nod to Trump's former attorney as nation's top law enforcement chief

On Tuesday, Todd Blanche, the former personal lawyer of President Donald Trump, moved closer to becoming the top US law enforcement officer after a Senate panel approved his nomination to lead the Justice Department with a 12-10 vote.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee's vote was strictly along party lines, following the withdrawal of opposition from two Republican senators, and paves the way for Blanche's potential confirmation as attorney general.

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Blanche's nomination had been stalled due to concerns raised by Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis regarding a $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of politically motivated prosecution and a tax audit immunity deal with President Trump.

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In an effort to address these concerns, Blanche issued a written order over the weekend, abolishing the so-called "anti-weaponization fund" and limiting the audit immunity agreement with Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization to only apply "retroactively" to past tax years.

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The full Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, is expected to vote later this week on Blanche's confirmation, with Blanche having served as acting attorney general since President Trump fired Pam Bondi in April.

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Senate Democrats have been united in their opposition to Blanche's nomination, citing concerns that he has treated the Department of Justice as an extension of President Trump's legal team.

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Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed his opposition to Blanche's nomination, stating that "Todd Blanche has no business serving as our nation's chief law enforcement officer" and that "the attorney general is supposed to be the people's lawyer".

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Durbin further criticized Blanche, saying "Mr. Blanche continues to operate as the president's personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client — the president".

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Vice President JD Vance praised Blanche's nomination in a post on X, stating that he "will continue to serve the American people and the Trump Administration loyally, and he will make a great Attorney General".

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Blanche has been linked to a "retribution" campaign by President Trump against his perceived political enemies, and played a key role in negotiating an extraordinary legal settlement between Trump and the government.

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The out-of-court settlement, which stems from Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the illegal disclosure of his tax records, proposed immunity from audits for past tax years and a $1.776 billion fund for people who claim they were unfairly targeted by the Department of Justice.

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Federal judges have blocked the fund and condemned the tax settlement, which could potentially help President Trump avoid past liabilities of up to $100 million, according to US press reports.

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Blanche has also faced criticism from victims of Jeffrey Epstein over his handling of the release of investigative files about the convicted sex offender, a one-time close friend of President Trump.

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Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Blanche represented President Trump in his New York trial over alleged "hush money" paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, and was also part of the legal defense team in two federal cases brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith.

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Both cases, which involved allegations of mishandling classified documents and seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, were dropped after President Trump won the 2024 presidential election.