The Senate Judiciary Committee began a confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Todd Blanche, the nominee for U.S. Attorney General. Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April, requires the support of all 11 Republican members on the 21-member committee to guarantee his nomination moves to the full Senate.
Blanche previously served as the lead defense attorney for Donald Trump during his hush money trial in New York. Democratic lawmakers and critics have raised concerns regarding his independence from the executive branch. Blanche has stated that there is no "political partisanship" in current department actions and that he sees no conflict in the president's interest in specific investigations.
Lawmakers are expected to question Blanche on several policy decisions made during his tenure as acting head of the Justice Department. These include the handling of investigations into the president's political opponents, his previous public support for pardons granted to Jan. 6 defendants, and a discontinued $1.776 billion compensation fund for individuals who claimed mistreatment by the justice system.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the committee, previously stated he would not support a nominee who equivocated on the U.S. Capitol attack but noted he does not currently have concerns regarding Blanche’s record. The committee must vote on the nomination before it can proceed to the Senate floor for a final confirmation vote.