President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Todd Blanche, has moved a step closer to becoming the next Attorney General of the United States after securing approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee voted 12-10 on Tuesday to advance Blanche’s nomination, with lawmakers voting strictly along party lines. The breakthrough came after two Republican senators who had initially opposed his nomination withdrew their objections.
Blanche’s confirmation process had stalled following concerns raised by Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis over a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for alleged victims of politically motivated prosecutions, as well as an agreement granting tax audit immunity involving President Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization.
To address those concerns, Blanche issued a written directive over the weekend abolishing the controversial “anti-weaponization fund.” He also clarified that the tax audit immunity arrangement would apply only to previous tax years and would not extend to future tax filings.
The full Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, is expected to vote later this week on Blanche’s confirmation. He has been serving as Acting Attorney General since President Trump dismissed Pam Bondi in April.
Democratic lawmakers, however, have maintained strong opposition to Blanche’s nomination, arguing that his close relationship with the president undermines the independence expected of the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
“Todd Blanche has no business serving as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer,” Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Tuesday’s vote.
“The attorney general is supposed to be the people’s lawyer,” Durbin said. “Mr Blanche continues to operate as the president’s personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client — the president.”
Following the committee’s decision, Vice President JD Vance praised Blanche’s nomination, expressing confidence in his leadership.
He said Blanche “will continue to serve the American people and the Trump Administration loyally, and he will make a great Attorney General.”
Blanche’s nomination has remained one of the most contentious in recent months because of his close involvement in several legal matters linked to President Trump.
Democrats have accused him of playing a central role in what they describe as a campaign of political “retribution” against the president’s perceived opponents. He also helped negotiate a high-profile legal settlement arising from Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the unlawful disclosure of his tax records by an agency contractor.
The settlement proposed immunity from tax audits for previous years and established a $1.776 billion fund for individuals claiming they were unfairly prosecuted by the Department of Justice, including some supporters convicted over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Federal judges have since blocked the compensation fund and criticised the tax agreement, with US media reports suggesting the arrangement could shield Trump from tax liabilities estimated at up to $100 million.
Blanche has also faced criticism from victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over his handling of the release of investigative files connected to Epstein, who was once a close associate of President Trump.
Before joining the Justice Department, Blanche served as Trump’s defence lawyer in the New York criminal trial involving alleged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
He also represented Trump in two separate federal prosecutions led by Special Counsel Jack Smith—one involving allegations of mishandling classified documents after leaving office, and another concerning efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Both cases were ultimately discontinued after Trump secured victory in the 2024 US presidential election.
(Ripples)