Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified for five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, saying he’s not a “yes man” as he seeks confirmation to secure the top job.
Blanche faced tough questions over the past controversy, including the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and a settlement that would exempt President Donald Trump and his family from Internal Revenue Service audits of their past taxes.
The questioning also included a controversial $1.8 billion so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” intended to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration.
After Trump fired Pam Bondi as attorney general in April, Blanche has served in the position in an acting role, and Trump formally nominated him in June.
Blanche will likely need the support of every Republican for his nomination to advance due as Democrats are expected to oppose him.
Blanche acknowledged “mistakes” made in the process regarding failures to properly redact certain names of victims, which he said the department immediately sought to fix once they were notified.
“That doesn’t excuse the mistakes of which I take full responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them,” he said.
“If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month, that there’s an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will,” Blanche added.
In an exchange with Republican Sen. John Kennedy, Blanche was faced with questions as to whether he was a personal “friend” of President Trump.
Blanche has previously repeatedly reflected on their close relationship and even told reporters in a press conference that if he weren’t nominated for his position permanently he would tell the president, “I love you.”
“I’m his lawyer — was his lawyer, and now I’m the deputy attorney general,” Blanche said at the hearing on Wednesday.
