Republicans clear Todd Blanche for top US Justice Department role

What the report says

Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and current acting attorney general, cleared a key Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Tuesday, moving him one step closer to becoming the top official at the US Justice Department. The committee approved his nomination 12-10 along party lines, and the decision sends the nomination to the full Senate for a final vote in the coming days.

Al Jazeera reported that the vote came after several days of hesitation from two Republicans, Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, over Blanche’s close ties to Trump and his role in a settlement involving the Internal Revenue Service. The dispute centered on a proposed $1.8bn “anti-weaponisation” fund and related limits on future IRS scrutiny of Trump, his family and the Trump Organization. Blanche later said the fund had been voided, and over the weekend he posted documents rescinding it and clarifying the scope of the protections.

Those assurances helped win over Cornyn and Tillis, who switched to support him before the committee vote. Democrats remained opposed, saying the nomination raised doubts about whether Blanche could lead an independent Justice Department. Some also pointed to concerns that he might be willing to use the department against Trump’s political opponents.

If confirmed by the full Senate, Blanche would take permanent control of the Justice Department at a time when questions about political pressure, prosecutorial independence and the use of federal power remain central to the debate in Washington.