The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a scheduled vote on Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general after two Republican members of the panel raised concerns about his qualifications. The vote had been set for Thursday but was pushed back as the committee works to address Republican objections.
Blanche, who currently serves as attorney general on an acting basis, is Donald Trump's former criminal defense lawyer. His nomination has faced unexpected resistance from within his own party, which controls the committee majority.
According to reporting on the delay, the two Republican senators withholding their support are seeking written confirmation on a specific issue: assurance that the Department of Justice will not proceed with a proposed 1.8 billion dollar fund designed to compensate Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Republican Senator John Cornyn stated he will not back the nomination without written assurances that this slush fund is dead.
The Department of Justice has not yet provided the written commitments that these key Republican senators are demanding, which has thrown Blanche's confirmation into doubt. Without their support, the nomination cannot advance out of committee to the full Senate.
Democrats have also raised objections to Blanche's nomination. Robert Garcia, a senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, issued a statement criticizing the delay, saying Republicans "were forced to postpone Todd Blanche's confirmation vote because they knew he was too corrupt and untrustworthy to get enough votes." Garcia alleged that Blanche went from being Trump's personal lawyer to running an Epstein files cover-up and orchestrating billion-dollar slush funds.
Senate Democrats including Dick Durbin, the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, have urged the Senate to reject Blanche's nomination based on his handling of the Epstein files and his personal involvement in transferring Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security prison.
The attorney general position serves as the nation's top law enforcement official, overseeing the Department of Justice and holding significant authority over federal prosecutions and civil rights enforcement. A prolonged confirmation fight could leave the position vacant or filled by an acting official for an extended period.
The Senate Judiciary Committee typically serves as the first formal hurdle for Justice Department nominees. A nominee who cannot secure committee approval faces a difficult path to confirmation. The committee has not announced when it plans to reschedule the vote or what steps Blanche might take to address the concerns raised by Republican senators. The delay comes as the Senate approaches its August recess, which could compress the timeline for his potential confirmation.