Todd Blanche
Sworn in Aug. 11 as attorney general after a 50-49 Senate confirmation, Blanche is executing a sweeping conservative enforcement agenda: a planned national abortion-pill ban, a felon gun-rights restoration rule, voter-roll litigation, and an IRS audit-immunity deal under court challenge. He has refused to pledge DOJ independence from the White House while insisting Trump does not expect yes-men.
Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general on Aug. 11 after a 50-49 Senate confirmation in which all Democrats and three Republicans opposed him. He is a former personal lawyer for Donald Trump who served as deputy AG and acting AG before the permanent appointment. Eleven days into the job, he sits at the center of a remarkably active enforcement agenda that is drawing both political fire and legal challenges from multiple directions.
Blanche's most ambitious move surfaced Aug. 22: a planned national abortion-pill ban targeting mifepristone distribution through the Comstock Act, lawsuits against states with shield laws, and FDA coordination to restrict or remove the drug. He has promised conservative leaders a permanent victory. Days earlier, he finalized a DOJ rule creating an online pathway for felons to apply for restoration of federal gun rights, bypassing a 1992 congressional restriction on ATF processing and framing the Second Amendment as not a second-class right.
On the litigation front, Blanche is leading DOJ's appeal of a dismissed Colorado voter-roll lawsuit, part of a 30-state sweep, and says the administration may take the cases to the Supreme Court. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the effort lawless. The IRS audit-immunity deal Blanche authored, shielding Trump and the Trump Organization from tax audits, remains under assault: Judge Kathleen Williams voided the settlement as collusive and sanctioned DOJ, and Trump petitioned the 11th Circuit on Aug. 12 to pause those sanctions. The National Treasury Employees Union is separately suing to block the deal as an unconstitutional emolument.
Blanche publicly refused on Meet the Press to pledge DOJ independence from the White House, arguing no competent attorney general should make such a pledge. He told the same program there are no new developments in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation. He defended DC U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro against Trump's frustration over her dismissal of a Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying he absolutely supports her. He conceded he will take Trump's views into consideration but insisted the president does not expect yes-men.
Blanche also faces a personal wrongful-termination lawsuit from former prosecutor Will Rosenzweig, who alleges he was politically purged for a defunct anti-Trump blog and that Blanche discussed the blog posts before the firing. Rep. Jamie Raskin attacked the appointment directly, saying Republicans voted to turn Trump's personal attorney into his personal attorney general. Sen. Susan Collins opposed confirmation over the IRS immunity deal. DOJ under Blanche is also navigating a split on Jan. 6 restitution refunds, refusing to repay pardoned rioters whose convictions were final while refunding those with pending appeals, a question now before the DC Appeals Court.
On their plate
Blanche plans a national ban on mifepristone distribution, invoking the Comstock Act, suing states with shield laws, and coordinating with the FDA to restrict or remove the drug. He has promised conservative leaders a permanent victory on the issue.
Blanche finalized a DOJ rule creating an online pathway for felons to apply for restoration of federal gun rights, bypassing a 1992 congressional restriction on ATF processing. He framed the Second Amendment as not a second-class right.
Blanche is leading DOJ's appeal of a dismissed Colorado voter-roll lawsuit, part of a 30-state sweep, and says the administration may take the cases to the Supreme Court after losses in Michigan and elsewhere. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the effort lawless.
Blanche authored the order shielding Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization from IRS audits, then narrowed it to retroactive claims only to win Republican votes. Judge Kathleen Williams voided the settlement as collusive and sanctioned DOJ; Trump is now petitioning the 11th Circuit to pause the sanctions. The National Treasury Employees Union is separately suing to block the deal as an unconstitutional emolument.
DOJ under Blanche is refusing to refund restitution to pardoned Jan. 6 rioters whose convictions were final at the time of pardon, while refunding those with pending appeals. The DC Appeals Court is weighing the split; Judge John D. Bates ordered refunds for some defendants. Separately, pardoned rioters including convicted seditious conspirator Roberto Minuta are suing the government for millions each claiming malicious prosecution.
Key relationships
Blanche publicly backed DC U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro against Trump's frustration over her dismissal of a Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying he absolutely supports her and that judging her on a single case is unfair.
Collins directly opposed Blanche's confirmation over the IRS immunity deal, saying he approved an order to shield the President, his sons, and the family business from IRS audits, protections unavailable to other American taxpayers.
Blanche's DOJ sued Griswold's office to force disclosure of unredacted Colorado voter rolls; Griswold publicly called the effort lawless.
Raskin directly attacked Blanche's appointment, saying Republicans voted to turn Trump's personal attorney into Trump's personal attorney general and calling for a DOJ committed to rule of law not the corrupt rule of a kleptocrat.
Blanche is a named defendant in Rosenzweig's wrongful-termination lawsuit, which alleges Rosenzweig was politically purged for a defunct anti-Trump blog. The suit claims Blanche discussed Rosenzweig's blog posts before the firing and seeks reinstatement and damages.
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