Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Tuesday announced that she would not support acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for confirmation to the post in a permanent capacity.Collins’s decision follows the Senate Judiciary Committee voting to advance his nomination to the floor. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., had halted his nomination in pursuit of written assurances about the end of a now-abandoned “anti-weaponization fund.” Both were satisfied with his concessions and voted him out of committee.
But Collins pointed to his record while in the post to justify her opposition.
“I have carefully reviewed Todd Blanche’s qualifications to be Attorney General,” she posted on X. “This includes his record and responses to questions from Senators at the Department of Justice Appropriations hearing, his confirmation hearing, and in the weeks that followed.
While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political.
Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation”.
Collins pointed to the establishment of the anti-weaponization fund, the creation of an immunity deal for the Trump family, his prior statements promising to block the availability of an abortion drug, his attempt to indict two senators over a video urging military servicemembers to ignore illegal orders, and the opposition of more than 1,200 former DOJ officials.
Republicans have 53 votes in the Senate, meaning Blanche can afford to lose the support of up to three Republicans, provided Vice President JD Vance casts a tie-breaking vote.
Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.
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