(DCNF)—The Senate confirmed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to be the next attorney general after holdouts threatened his nomination process.
The upper chamber confirmed Blanche 50-49, with every Democrat and two Republicans, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, voting against him. Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had been hesitant to support Blanche over a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization package, though they later reached a deal with Blanche and voted to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Cornyn and Tillis demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) provide written proof that the fund was rescinded and rewrite language in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement to ensure that audit immunity for President Donald Trump and his family did not extend beyond the plaintiffs. The DOJ sent a written proposal to Cornyn on July 27, though Cornyn returned it and argued they had not met his demands.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley scheduled the markup for July 30, though he postponed it because Cornyn had not reached a deal with Blanche. The acting attorney general released documentation confirming the fund had been rescinded, which caused Cornyn and Tillis to support his nomination.
The committee advanced Blanche’s nomination Tuesday in a 12 to 10 vote.
Collins and Murkowski had declared they would oppose Blanche’s confirmation.
Collins argued in a Tuesday statement that the DOJ had become “too political” under his leadership. She cited the fund, the attempted indictments of Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona and his promise to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills as her reasonings.
“While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political. Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation … More than 1,200 former Department of Justice employees have opposed his nomination, arguing that he has undermined the institution. For these reasons, I will vote against this nomination,” Collins said.
Murkowski criticized Blanche’s handling of the files surrounding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accused the DOJ of being weaponized.
“Ultimately, however, I will oppose his nomination,” Murkowski said Thursday. “The politicization—even weaponization—of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it. I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. Senators.”
Collins and Murkowski had voted for former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s confirmation.
Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy had been undecided on how he would vote, though he later declared on the Senate floor Friday he would vote in Blanche’s favor.
Cassidy met with Blanche Wednesday to talk privately about their concerns. During a SiriusXM interview Wednesday, Cassidy worried that Blanche would serve as “Trump’s personal attorney who is now the attorney general.”
Blanche could only afford to lose two Republican votes unless Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell returned. Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego said Thursday he would miss a few votes to be with his wife during an emergency.
During Blanche’s July 15 confirmation hearing, Cornyn questioned Blanche about whether the fund could be revived. Blanche insisted the fund was “dead,” though he acknowledged there was no written agreement formally ending it.
During the hearing, Tillis demanded that Blanche meet with alleged victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in exchange for his support. Blanche complied with the demand and met with several of the alleged victims at the DOJ headquarters in July, which appeared to satisfy Tillis.
Some of the alleged victims criticized the meeting as dismissive and unproductive.
Blanche became the acting attorney general on April 2 after Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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