Todd Blanche
Trump administration turns to Supreme Court as third-country deportations are thrown into question
WASHINGTON | A ruling to halt deportations of people to countries other than their own threw a core immigration policy of the Trump administration into question, at least temporarily, and prompted a desperate appeal to the Supreme Court on Thursday. The administration said the ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came Wednesday […]
Attorney General Blanche’s appearances at political events blur Justice Department boundaries
WASHINGTON | Attorney General Todd Blanche is blurring traditional boundaries between politics and federal law enforcement with recent speeches at political events that mark a sharp departure from norms meant to protect the Justice Department from the appearance of partisan bias. Blanche took the stage this week at an event for a Republican Senate candidate […]
DEA tactic that let fentanyl flood the streets is being investigated by House Republicans
MIAMI | A controversial policing tactic that permitted staggering amounts of deadly fentanyl to reach the streets as federal authorities sought to build bigger drug cases is now under investigation by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee. The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Todd […]
Justice Department creates a new pathway to restore gun rights for some convicted of felonies
WASHINGTON | The Justice Department finalized a rule Monday that will pave the way for people who’ve been barred from owning firearms because of criminal convictions to apply to have their gun rights reinstated. The process launched by newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche is a victory for Second Amendment advocates who have long pushed […]
Todd Blanche is narrowly confirmed 50-49 as Trump’s attorney general in an overnight vote
WASHINGTON | The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early Saturday, cementing the command of President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer at a Department of Justice that Trump has sought to bend to his will. The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned […]
GOP Sen. Murkowski will oppose Blanche’s attorney general nomination, narrowing confirmation path
WASHINGTON | Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department. The Alaska senator, who joins GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in opposing Blanche, cited the Justice Department’s handling of files related to disgraced […]
GOP holdouts say they will back Blanche’s attorney general nomination after striking deal over fund
WASHINGTON | Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation to lead the Justice Department said Monday that they will support his nomination, ending an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump. The endorsement from GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis paves […]
Blanche rescinds fund for Trump allies after GOP senators threaten to block his attorney general bid
WASHINGTON | Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday terminating President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate his political allies, a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who were blocking his nomination to become attorney general. A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn, one of […]
Senate panel delays vote on Blanche attorney general nomination as key Republicans withhold support
WASHINGTON | Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general stalled Wednesday as lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote after key Republicans demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The Senate Judiciary Committee had been expected to vote Thursday on whether to advance Blanche’s nomination to the […]
Blanche meets with Epstein accusers after demand from Republican senator crucial to confirmation
WASHINGTON | Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met Thursday with accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the demand by a Republican senator whose support is crucial to advancing his nomination to lead the Justice Department. Blanche spent about an hour at Justice Department headquarters in Washington with the group of Epstein accusers, who […]