The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early on Saturday, cementing US President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney’s command of a Justice Department the Republican president has sought to bend to his will.

The Republican-led Senate voted 50-49 to make Blanche the second confirmed attorney general since Trump returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his political enemies.

While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the Trump administration’s agenda even more aggressively.

The vote followed a tumultuous confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns – from some Republicans as well as Democrats - about installing Trump’s close ally atop a Justice Department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House.

In the end, Blanche was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, opposed by two Republicans - Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

The path to confirmation for Blanche was unusually rocky, due in large part to Republican concerns about a controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

Under pressure, Blanche publicly promised in writing that the department would abandon Trump’s proposed US$1.8 billion compensation fund for the president’s allies, including those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and rein in another piece of the settlement designed to shield Trump and his family from IRS tax audits. (AP)




Edited by Azam Khan