Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, has been confirmed as the US attorney general, the nation's top law enforcement official.
Blanche secured confirmation in a 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting against him. Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote, stating he believed Blanche was the best candidate the president would put forward. Washington had been anxiously awaiting Cassidy's decision due to years of animosity between Trump and the senator.
The vote concludes a prolonged stalemate between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration regarding Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general since April. All Democrats opposed his nomination to lead the Justice Department.
Some Republican senators had expressed concerns about his handling of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his involvement in establishing Trump's "anti-weaponization" fund, valued at $1.8 billion. Critics, including Murkowski, feared this fund would benefit individuals prosecuted for their participation in the January 6th Capitol attack, despite its stated purpose of compensating those who alleged government persecution.
Blanche ultimately pledged to retract the fund following backlash from Republican senators during his confirmation hearings. It remains uncertain whether this commitment is legally binding or if Trump could later persuade Blanche, his former personal attorney, to reintroduce a similar initiative under a different name.
These issues led Collins and Murkowski to withhold their support. Murkowski cited a lack of confidence in Blanche's ability to "check the worst impulses of this administration" and expressed concerns over the "politicisation" of the justice department.
Collins also raised concerns about Blanche's role in settling Trump's $10 billion lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but stated she ultimately trusted Blanche to provide the president with candid legal advice.
"This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr Blanche, in very specific circumstances," Cassidy said on Friday. "All considered, I will vote for Mr Blanche."
Cassidy acknowledged that Trump is the ultimate decision-maker regarding the direction of the justice department, but argued that Senate confirmation would grant Blanche "greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for."
Cassidy also expressed reluctance to hinder the department's efforts in combating violent crime.
During Trump's second impeachment in 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump over the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot. The vote did not pass, and upon Trump's return to office, he successfully influenced Cassidy's retirement by backing a primary challenger for his Louisiana Senate seat earlier this year.
Blanche was already deputy attorney general when he assumed the interim leadership role in April, following the dismissal of Pam Bondi.
