Trump Nominates Todd Blanche for Permanent Attorney General Position

Jun 8, 2026

President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal defense attorney, for permanent attorney general on June 8, 2026, after Blanche served as acting AG for over two months following Pam Bondi's firing on April 2, 2026. Blanche's tenure has been controversial: he granted Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization immunity from IRS prosecution as part of settling Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, and authorized a $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate alleged victims of Biden-era prosecutorial overreach before abandoning it under legal challenge. The Save America PAC paid Blanche nearly $10 million between March and December 2024 for defending Trump in three criminal cases, including the New York hush money case that resulted in 34 felony convictions. Congressional critics, including some Republicans, have questioned potential conflicts of interest and criticized the botched release of Jeffrey Epstein files that both omitted victim redactions and withheld many documents.

Blanche attorney general nomination

▪Todd Blanche was nominated to succeed Pam Bondi as attorney general.
▪President Donald Trump fired Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026.
▪President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche as attorney general on June 8, 2026.
▪Todd Blanche held the attorney general position in an acting capacity for more than two months before the June 8, 2026 nomination.

Trump IRS lawsuit settlement

▪Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
▪Todd Blanche told a House subcommittee on June 2, 2026 that the agreement to protect Donald Trump from prosecution related to tax returns filed before the settlement would remain in effect.

Anti-Weaponization Fund controversy

▪Todd Blanche authorized the Justice Department's creation of an Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of the settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
▪Todd Blanche refused to put the promise to abandon the Anti-Weaponization Fund in writing.
▪The Anti-Weaponization Fund was a $1.8 billion fund.
▪The Anti-Weaponization Fund was designed to compensate purported victims of prosecutorial overreach by the Justice Department during the Biden administration.
▪Todd Blanche told a House subcommittee on June 2, 2026 that the Justice Department had permanently abandoned plans for the Anti-Weaponization Fund.

Congressional criticism of Blanche

▪Rep. Rosa DeLauro asked Todd Blanche whether he found a conflict of interest in serving as acting attorney general after being paid nearly $10 million by the Save America PAC.
▪The Save America PAC paid Todd Blanche nearly $10 million between March 2024 and December 2024 to serve as President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney.

Blanche as Trump's lawyer

▪Todd Blanche served as Donald Trump's defense lawyer in three criminal cases.
▪Todd Blanche served as a criminal defense lawyer for Donald Trump from January 2021 through January 2025.
▪Donald Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge in the New York falsifying business records case shortly before being inaugurated as president.
▪A state court jury in New York City convicted Donald Trump in May 2024 with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment.

Epstein files release issues

▪The Justice Department faced criticism for not redacting the names of some victims as required when the Jeffrey Epstein files were released.
▪Pam Bondi told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in late May 2026 that she had put Todd Blanche in charge of complying with a law requiring the Justice Department to release all of its files about Jeffrey Epstein.

Perspective of Congressional critics (including some Republicans)

▪Rep. Rosa DeLauro questioned whether Todd Blanche's receipt of nearly $10 million from the Save America PAC created a conflict of interest in his role as acting attorney general.