[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1519-S1520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Todd Blanche
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, soon, we will be voting on the
nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Deputy Attorney General of the
United States. I support his nomination and urge all of my colleagues
to vote for this well-qualified nominee. Mr. Blanche's record shows
that he is the right man for this job.
His story exemplifies the American dream. As a young man, he
supported his young family by working as a paralegal during the day
while attending law school at night. He clerked twice for judges
appointed by Presidents of both parties and ultimately became a
respected prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. His
colleagues from that office of both political parties told us that Mr.
Blanche is ``a fundamentally good and decent man.'' Mr. Blanche then
entered private practice at two very prestigious law firms--including
the oldest firm on Wall Street.
This remarkable resume has all the hallmarks of someone who should
serve as a senior official at the Justice Department, but this isn't
what impresses me the most. I have spoken often about the partisan
weaponization of our justice system. I have worked to investigate it. I
have released records proving that weaponization exists.
My colleagues, for your information, you can expect to see more of
this information coming out from me very, very soon.
I believe Mr. Blanche is the right man for the job because he has
seen this weaponization firsthand, and he has paid a personal cost to
do something about it. This is the price he paid: Mr. Blanche was
forced out of his law firm because he chose to represent
[[Page S1520]]
President Trump. Now, that is quite a law firm, isn't it? Just because
you are taking business in, they don't like it. So then he put his
reputation on the line and he put his career on the line to fight
against Jack Smith's and District Attorney Bragg's rampant lawfare, and
he handled these cases with professional excellence.
We need good people like Todd Blanche in the Justice Department. We
need lawyers who will do justice even when it is unpopular or comes at
a personal cost, as it did to Mr. Blanche. We need people leading the
Department who will end the abuses of the past and make the Agency live
up to the ideals of our Constitution.
I am not the only one who thinks Mr. Blanche is the right man for the
job. He has received support from some of the people who understand the
Justice Department best. Over 100 alumni of the Southern District of
New York who worked alongside Mr. Blanche wrote to say this:
Todd's experience, character, intellect, openness to
dialogue, and longstanding love of and belief in the mission
of the Department of Justice make him eminently qualified to
serve as Deputy Attorney General.
Another communication. Seventy former DOJ officials wrote to say:
Mr. Blanche is a special nominee in that he brings decades
of experience both as a prosecutor and defense attorney to
the role of Deputy Attorney General.
Another one. Law enforcement groups representing tens of thousands of
officers wrote to support Mr. Blanche because of his history working
alongside of law enforcement and prosecuting violent crime.
Between his record, his presentation in committee, and his extensive
support, I am convinced that Mr. Blanche is the best person to serve as
Deputy Attorney General. I am proud to support this nomination, and I
look forward to voting for him. I know that he will work with President
Trump and Attorney General Bondi to restore faith in the Justice
Department.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we are considering the nomination of Todd
Blanche, President Trump's nominee for Deputy Attorney General.
How important is this job? It is the No. 2 job in the Department of
Justice. Traditionally, it has been given major responsibilities and
has been treated very seriously, as it should be, and we should
consider that when we consider this nomination.
I am not going to go into the background already outlined by Chairman
Grassley about Mr. Blanche's legal representation of Donald Trump,
which he did on repeated occasions. There is nothing to suggest that
what he did was unethical in that capacity or unprofessional, so I am
not going to raise a question about it.
As to whether or not he has any bias one way or another in dealing
with the President in the future is speculative, but it is important.
The thing I would like to raise is January 6, 2021. That is the day a
solemn constitutional proceeding was disrupted here in this Capitol, in
this Senate Chamber, by a mob of thugs who were egged on by President
Trump to attack and trash the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn
the Presidential election. I lived through that, as many of us did.
The insurrection led to the death of 5 law enforcement officers and
injuries to approximately 140 others, many of whom are still paying
that price today.
In a rally before the attack on the Capitol, President Trump said:
If you don't fight like hell, you are not going to have a
country anymore.
Yet, in a court filing, Mr. Blanche argued:
Not a shred of evidence suggests President Trump called for
any violence. In fact, President Trump clearly and repeatedly
called for ``peaceful and patriotic'' assembly.
There was nothing peaceful or patriotic about President Trump's
conduct that day, and the same goes for his supporters. Did it seem
peaceful or patriotic when this crowd assaulted police officers who
were doing their job and protecting us then, as they do to this day?
One of President Trump's first moves in office--not the very first
but one of the first things he did--was to issue blanket pardons for
all of the violent January 6 insurrectionists. When Mr. Blanche was
asked at his hearing to condemn these actions, he repeatedly refused to
do so.
In fact, it appears he buys into the conspiracy theory that the FBI
is actually responsible for the insurrection. In response to our
question, Mr. Blanche said he does not believe the inspector general's
finding that the FBI did not have any undercover employees in the
Capitol on that day.
I am especially disappointed--especially--that Mr. Blanche refused to
commit to me and the committee that he would not disclose the names of
the FBI agents who worked on the case of the January 6 rioters even
though some of the rioters are already calling for retribution against
these men and women who were simply doing their duty. This is extremely
dangerous. We have seen these violent individuals, and we know that
they are willing to dole out their own form of justice. They believe
they are above the law because of the Presidential pardon, and
President Trump validated that belief with the pardons full and
unconditional.
Instead of accepting the legitimacy of cases brought against the
President, Mr. Blanche has repeatedly used the word ``lawfare'' to
describe these investigations.
I have been around this Chamber for a long time and around Washington
for even longer, but I don't know what this word ``lawfare'' means. And
to use it as your explanation of what you are going to do in the No. 2
position at the Department of Justice is mind-boggling.
After the hush money convictions came down, Mr. Blanche was asked if
he accepted that the President had his day in court and a jury of his
peers made the decision to convict him. In response, Mr. Blanche
undermined our justice system by saying, ``No, not at all.''
Since the President has taken office, we have already witnessed the
weaponization of the justice system. Mr. Blanche will not provide the
necessary independence to avoid that. His response to questions was not
satisfying in this regard.
His record and his undying loyalty to the President notwithstanding,
I don't believe he is the right person for this job. I ask my
colleagues to join me in opposing the nomination.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Schmitt). The Senator from Nebraska.