The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General
The U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, a former attorney for Donald Trump, as U.S. Attorney General by a narrow majority. The vote took place early Saturday morning and ended with a result of 50 votes in favor and 49 against, according to The Guardian.
Two Republican senators—Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—voted against Blanche’s nomination, along with all Democratic senators. The deciding vote came from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had previously been among the Republicans who abstained from supporting the nomination.
Blanche stated that it was a great honor for him to be confirmed to the position and thanked Trump for his trust. Cassidy, explaining his decision on the Senate floor, said the choice was not between a perfect candidate and Blanche, but between him and another acting attorney general who might have led the department less effectively during Trump’s presidency.
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Prior to his confirmation, Blanche had been serving as acting attorney general after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. The review of his nomination was delayed amid concerns that the Department of Justice under his leadership could be used to persecute the president’s political opponents.
The Guardian also reports that Blanche was criticized for the department’s release of materials related to Jeffrey Epstein. According to the publication, the documents concealed information that should not have been redacted, while failing to redact the names of victims, which were supposed to remain private. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin stated that the attorney general should be “an advocate for the people,” not the president’s personal lawyer.
The vote on the nomination took place after an overnight session on the eve of a scheduled five-week recess in the Senate. Republican Majority Leader John Thune, Trump, and conservative senators agreed to postpone consideration of the budget resolution and a significant portion of the SAVE America Act until after the recess.
