Warning in a new piece for The Hill about the potential to supercharge President Donald Trump’s abuses and fraud, a former federal director urged Congress to oppose the nomination of Todd Blanche, due to his aiding of “the most corrupt president in the nation’s history.”
Previously serving as Trump’s personal attorney prior to his White House return, Blanche was first appointed to serve as Deputy Attorney General before being elevated to acting Attorney General after the exit of Pam Bondi. His time in the administration has been marked by scandal and controversy, from his involvement in the botched release of the Epstein files to his support of Trump’s “slush fund” lawsuit settlement, but he has managed to impress the president, who nominated him to lead the Department of Justice as the proper Attorney General.
William S. Becker is a climate action activist who previously served for over a decade as the Department of Energy’s central regional director, as well as a special assistant to the department’s assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy. On Monday morning, he published a new piece for The Hill sounding the alarm about Blanche, warning that he has aided in corruption by Trump that would make Richard Nixon’s misdeeds look like “child’s play” and strongly urged Congress to reject his nomination.
“As deputy attorney general, Blanche proved that he will not only tolerate Trump’s lawlessness but also participate in it,” Becker wrote. “He has openly violated Congress’s bipartisan law requiring the release of all Epstein files. He has collaborated with Trump’s scheme to reward Jan. 6 rioters with millions of dollars in compensation for their prosecution and convictions related to Trump’s effort to steal the 2020 election.”
He continued: “Blanche has collaborated to make the department Trump’s personal weapon of retribution with specious and malicious charges against the president’s perceived enemies. The Brennan Center for Justice says grand juries have refused to indict Trump’s targets at least 18 times. Courts or prosecutors have aborted 16 grand jury subpoenas, along with nearly half the cases against protesters and immigrants for alleged assaults of law enforcement officers. Courts have dismissed 16 lawsuits that sought state voter data and thousands of misdemeanor charges against migrants, quashed nine subpoenas that tried to force hospitals to turn over records on gender-affirming care, and dropped at least 79 cases related to ICE protests.”
Becker also noted that Blanche has had a hand, alongside Bondi, in the massive purge of talent from the DOJ, with around 5,000 staffers being fired or pushed out under their watch, creating a “toxic and ethically challenged” environment. Blanche’s push for the charges against former FBI Director James Comey, which accuse him of threatening Trump’s life by sharing the “86 47” seashell photo on social media, has also been criticized as an effort to chill dissent that is right out of “the authoritarian playbook.”
“Those who most covet the job of attorney general may not be worthy to have it,” Becker concluded. “The best candidates are willing to resign from the department in its defense. The best outcome would be for Blanche’s nomination to die in committee.”