Todd Blanche faces Senate confirmation hearing for attorney general amid controversy over judge's criticism and Trump ties

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on July 15, 2026, to permanently lead the Justice Department. Despite intense criticism over his past representation of Donald Trump, his handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, and a recently nullified $1.8 billion IRS settlement that led to a bar referral by Judge Kathleen Williams, Republican insiders expect Blanche to secure confirmation before the August recess. Democrats and over 1,200 former DOJ officials warn his appointment threatens the agency's independence.

Blanche attorney general nomination

• ▪Todd Blanche is scheduled to face a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15, 2026, for the position of United States Attorney General
• ▪Republican insiders expect Todd Blanche to win Senate confirmation as Attorney General before the August recess
• ▪Todd Blanche was confirmed as Deputy Attorney General in March 2025 and became Acting Attorney General in the spring of 2026 following Pam Bondi's departure

Trump attorney conflicts of interest

• ▪Judge Kathleen Williams referred Todd Blanche and Stanley Woodward to the Florida Bar Association for discipline over the IRS settlement, which she characterized as collusive
• ▪On July 13, 2026, federal judge Kathleen Williams in Miami nullified a $1.8 billion settlement that created an anti-weaponization fund and shielded Donald Trump and his family from IRS audits, ruling it was not a genuine legal dispute
• ▪Todd Blanche served as President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney starting in 2023, representing Donald Trump in the Manhattan hush-money prosecution, the Mar-a-Lago classified documents prosecution, and the January 6 prosecution

Justice Department actions under Blanche

• ▪Todd Blanche oversaw the redaction of Jeffrey Epstein files, which survivors and critics claim accidentally revealed victims' names while redacting information related to Donald Trump and other wealthy men
• ▪Todd Blanche shut down the Justice Department unit assigned to investigate fraud in the cryptocurrency market
• ▪Under Todd Blanche's leadership, the Justice Department pursued prosecutions of Donald Trump's perceived adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey and Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, and investigated former CIA Director John Brennan

Historical attorney general misconduct precedents

• ▪Former Attorney General John Ashcroft supported the enhanced interrogation program and ignored flaws in the reasoning of the Office of Legal Counsel until the memos were later withdrawn
• ▪Former Attorney General William Barr ran the Justice Department in a manner resembling a private law firm for Donald Trump, but eventually resigned after breaking with Donald Trump over 2020 election fraud claims

Senate confirmation standards

• ▪More than 1,200 former Justice Department officials from both parties signed a letter warning that Todd Blanche's tenure has damaged the agency and public safety
• ▪The New York Bar Association issued a letter opposing Todd Blanche's nomination, stating that Todd Blanche is unfit for the office of Attorney General

Recusal requirements for nominees

• ▪During his prior confirmation hearing for Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche refused to commit to recusing himself from matters implicating Donald Trump's interests, stating he would follow the advice of career ethics attorneys
• ▪Critics argue that if Todd Blanche recused himself from all matters where he has a potential conflict of interest, he would be dysfunctional as Attorney General