US Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General

The US Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as the new attorney general, making him President Donald Trump’s top law enforcement official.

Blanche was confirmed by a narrow 50-49 vote after concerns over his independence nearly derailed his nomination. He also struggled to secure support from some Republicans, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting against his confirmation.

Blanche had served as acting attorney general since April, after previously overseeing the Justice Department’s day-to-day operations as its second-highest-ranking official.

His nomination faced scrutiny from lawmakers in both parties over his handling of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, his role in creating a $1.8 billion fund backed by Trump, and his involvement in a tax-related agreement involving Trump and his sons.

The tax agreement prevented the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from auditing previous tax returns filed by Trump, his sons and their family business. Both the agreement and the fund stemmed from a $10 billion lawsuit brought by Trump against the IRS.

Blanche overcame the opposition following a series of meetings on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. He agreed in writing to limit the tax arrangement and halt controversial payments.

However, questions remain over whether those commitments are legally binding and whether Trump could pressure Blanche in the future to revive a similar program under a different name.

Those concerns were particularly significant for the final Republican senators whose support Blanche needed, including Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski.

Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Friday that Blanche is a tough and fair prosecutor who is committed to the rule of law.

Many Republicans view the former New York prosecutor as one of Trump’s most acceptable nominees and believe that, once serving in the permanent position, he will be capable of resisting pressure from the White House.

Blanche’s confirmation now gives the Justice Department a permanent attorney general after months of his service in an acting capacity.