The Senate could vote as soon as Saturday to make Todd Blanche the next Attorney General, after the Judiciary Committee advanced his nomination on a party-line vote. Not Above the Law’s Block Blanche campaign has spent two months exposing the record senators must now reckon with: a nominee who has spent his time in office protecting Donald Trump rather than the American people.
Not Above the Law coalition co-chairs Lisa Gilbert, Praveen Fernandes, Kelsey Herbert, and Brett Edkins issued the following statement:
“Senators don’t have to wonder what kind of Attorney General Todd Blanche would be. He’s already shown us: the slush fund, the mishandling of the Epstein files, the whitewashing of January 6, the targeting of the president’s perceived enemies. Blanche’s title may have changed, but he’s still Donald Trump’s lawyer.
“Confirmation won’t rein him in. It’ll empower him. Blanche has already shown how far he’s willing to go for Trump. The Senate must defend the rule of law and reject this nomination.”
Here is what the Block Blanche campaign has documented, and what the Senate is being asked to overlook:
BLANCHE HAS TOLD THE SENATE, IN HIS OWN WORDS, WHO HE WORKS FOR
Asked whether he and Trump are friends, Blanche said, “I’m his lawyer,” before correcting himself to “was.” Asked in writing whether he still stood by his claim that the DOJ is not independent from the president, his answer was one word: “Yes.”
THE SLUSH FUND “FIX” ISN’T A FIX
Blanche engineered a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” through a settlement of Trump’s IRS lawsuit that also shields Trump, his family, and his businesses from audits on their past filings. A federal judge ruled the settlement a sham and referred Blanche for bar discipline. Facing GOP holdouts, Blanche released two unsigned documents claiming to rescind the fund—but Trump never signed either one, and a top Trump ally said it “can be undone after Tuesday.” Meanwhile, the audit shield protecting Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization remains in place.
BLANCHE HAS STONEWALLED EPSTEIN SURVIVORS AND SEALED THE FILES
Blanche personally interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell and arranged her transfer to a lower-security prison. Bondi confirmed under oath that Blanche has controlled the Epstein file release from the beginning; more than 2.5 million documents remain unreleased. When Sen. Tillis forced a meeting with survivors, Annie Farmer described Blanche as “abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal.”
BLANCHE IS ERASING JANUARY 6 FROM THE RECORD
Blanche’s DOJ asked a federal appeals court to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of twelve Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, and succeeded. Months earlier, at CPAC, Blanche told critics who said the administration had “done nothing” for January 6 defendants that they had “a very short memory.”
BLANCHE HAS SHIELDED ICE FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, EVEN AS THE KILLINGS CONTINUED
Blanche refused to open a criminal investigation into the ICE officer who killed Renee Good, then called agents’ conduct “humane” after a federal agent killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Days before his confirmation hearing, ICE killed two more men in Texas and Maine who weren’t targets of any operation. At the hearing, Blanche told Sen. Padilla that state and local officials don’t need be involved in these investigations to ensure their independence.
THE NOT ABOVE THE LAW COALITION HAS BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM SINCE THE DAY BLANCHE WAS NOMINATED
- Launched the Block Blanche campaign with a coalition letter signed by more than 50 organizations, alongside a companion letter signed by nearly 2,000 attorneys with Lawyers for Good Government.
- Hosted a national briefing with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard Blumenthal, joined by civil rights and legal accountability leaders, calling on the Senate to reject Blanche.
- Published a corruption timeline documenting dozens of scandals tied to Blanche’s record at the Department of Justice.
- Released real-time fact sheets and recaps following Blanche’s confirmation hearing, covering his testimony, his handling of the Epstein files, and his record of shielding ICE from accountability.
- Compiled opposition to Blanche’s nomination from conservative commentators, former prosecutors, legal scholars, and editorial boards.
- Hosted a livestream briefing with members of Congress, advocates, and a January 6 survivor on why Blanche is unfit to serve.
- Responded in real time at each turn of the confirmation process, including the committee’s postponed vote, Blanche’s unsigned attempt to rescind the slush fund, and the committee’s party-line vote to advance his nomination to the floor.