Trump nominee Todd Blanche clears major hurdle to become attorney general

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be Attorney General, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Jul. 15. AFP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said on Friday he would back Todd Blanche for attorney general, clearing a path for Donald Trump's nominee after weeks of scrutiny over the Justice Department's independence from the White House.

Cassidy emerged as the likely deciding vote after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would oppose Blanche for the top U.S. law enforcement job, leaving the nomination on the brink.

Cassidy's support for Blanche capped one of the most contentious cabinet fights of Trump's second term after concerns spanning both parties over Blanche's independence nearly derailed the nomination.

The vote was the culmination of weeks of negotiations between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April and previously ran day-to-day Justice Department operations as its second-ranking official.

Justice department under scrutiny

Under Blanche's leadership, the department has opened investigations into Trump's critics, prompted an exodus of career prosecutors and declared it serves at the direction of the president, breaking with what critics said were longstanding norms of independence.

Cassidy, who represents Louisiana, criticized Blanche's role in settling Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service by granting tax immunity to Trump and his family businesses and creating a now-abandoned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies, but said he ultimately trusted Blanche to give the president candid legal advice.

Murkowski had cited her lack of confidence in Blanche to "check the worst impulses of this administration".

"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," Murkowski said in a post on social media platform X.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Murkowski’s decision “disappointing” but said the White House was not surprised.

The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last month the DOJ said it was prohibited by law from releasing unredacted files on Jeffrey Epstein requested by New Mexico, escalating a feud with state officials investigating the late sex offender.

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said earlier this week she would vote against Blanche's nomination, while a small number of other senators have also expressed concerns.

Senate Republican leader John Thune said he wanted to confirm Blanche before the chamber leaves Washington for a month-long recess scheduled to begin this week.

Blanche persuaded Republican holdouts John Cornyn and Thom Tillis to support him by pledging in writing that Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund was dead and that a related tax-immunity deal applied only to past tax returns.

Both arose from a settlement of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.