Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General; Eyes Turn to Comey Probe

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a narrow 50-49 vote early Saturday, clearing the way for President Trump’s former personal defense attorney to pursue the administration’s legal agenda, most notably, an escalating investigation into the former FBI director, James Comey.Mr. Blanche’s confirmation came after a fight that exposed rare divisions within the Republican Party. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both voted against his nomination, with Ms. Murkowski saying the country needs an attorney general “who will check the worst impulses of this administration.” Every Democrat also opposed him.The decisive vote came from Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a Republican who argued that Mr. Blanche’s background defending Mr. Trump in court could make him more effective at managing the president’s more aggressive demands. “This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” Mr. Cassidy said.Democrats were not convinced. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to reject the nomination. “If there is ever a moment in history when we need an attorney general above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it’s right now,” Mr. Durbin said.Mr. Blanche’s confirmation puts him on firmer ground to pursue what may become one of the most politically charged investigations of Trump’s second term: the case against Mr. Comey. Shortly after Mr. Blanche assumed the top post in an acting capacity, the Justice Department moved to indict Mr. Comey on charges of threatening Mr. Trump by posting a social media photograph of seashells arranged to resemble the numbers “86 47.” Mr. Comey’s legal team is now seeking dismissal, accusing the department of misleading judges and withholding key facts.Mr. Blanche has also appointed a former Reagan-era prosecutor, Joseph diGenova, to lead a Florida-based probe into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired to undermine Mr. Trump over the past decade. Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, backed Mr. Blanche without reservation ahead of the vote, saying he “is the right choice.”

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General; Eyes Turn to Comey Probe

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