After weeks of uncertainty, Todd Blanche was confirmed as U.S. attorney general early Saturday in a mostly party-line vote.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, was confirmed by a vote of 50-49, with only two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting against him.
The vote was held after 4 a.m. on Saturday, as a late-night session ran over into the early hours ahead of a planned Senate recess.
“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” Blanche said in a post on X, adding: “I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process.”
His confirmation had been in jeopardy, largely because of concerns about his handling of the so-called anti-weaponization fund, established as part of a purported settlement between private citizen Trump and the federal government he now controls.
The fund could have been used to compensate Trump allies who claimed they were victims of government overreach, including people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Blanche also signed off on another part of the deal that gave Trump, his family members and his businesses immunity from tax audits.
The Senate also voted 90-6 early Saturday to pass a short-term funding bill to remove the threat of a government shutdown before the midterm elections.
Read more about Blanche's confirmation.
No comments:
Post a Comment