Todd Blanche, formerly President Donald Trump's defense attorney in multiple criminal cases, has been elevated from Deputy Attorney General to Acting Attorney General. This move follows the ousting of Pam Bondi, with reports suggesting Trump's dissatisfaction with her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and her perceived inability to target political opponents.
Blanche, who previously represented Trump in cases spanning his first term and beyond, will now oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ). His appointment comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the DOJ's independence and its relationship with the White House. Blanche's prior work for Trump, including his defense in the hush money case, raises questions about his impartiality in leading the department. He had previously declined to state whether he would recuse himself from reviewing prior DOJ work on Trump-related cases during his confirmation hearing for Deputy Attorney General.
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During his time as Deputy Attorney General, the DOJ has faced accusations of eroding traditional independence, with Trump reportedly seeking to leverage it for political ends. Blanche himself has continued to publicly criticize prosecutions of Trump, even from within the department. He also reportedly led DOJ discussions concerning Ghislaine Maxwell, a long-time associate of Jeffrey Epstein, and has defended the department's handling of files related to the disgraced financier.
Blanche's departure from his previous firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, was reportedly prompted by senior leadership's objections to his representation of Trump, which helped cement his standing within Trump's circle. He was appointed to the No. 2 position at the DOJ last year. Trump has not indicated if Blanche is a candidate for the permanent Attorney General position.
Blanche, 51, is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where he studied at night while working as a paralegal in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan. He has also held positions at other prominent law firms, including WilmerHale. Three former FBI agents who claim they were ousted after working on cases against Trump have cited Blanche's public comments as evidence in a lawsuit alleging illegal firings.
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