Hundreds of Todd Blanche’s Ex-Colleagues Say He’d Be a Terrible A.G.

Hundreds of federal prosecutors are begging the Senate not to confirm Todd Blanche, arguing that the acting attorney general has increasingly placed his loyalty to Donald Trump over his duties to the country.

Mimi Rocah and Perry A. Carbone, two prosecutors that worked with Blanche in the Southern District of New York and “once considered him a close friend,” published a scathing indictment of the acting attorney general in MS NOW Wednesday, writing that it has been “painful” to watch someone they once regarded highly continually bow to Trump’s whims.

“As federal prosecutors, we were taught that our duty was to pursue justice fairly, impartially and independently—not to bring or win cases at all costs, to advance political agendas, or to serve powerful individuals,” wrote Rocah and Carbone. “In our view, Blanche has turned his back on these principles.”

The duo elaborated that their concern was not political, but rather institutional, questioning whether the Justice Department would continue to exist as an entity that serves the American people—and whether the American people would continue to have faith in its abilities to serve them—if it remains under Blanche’s control.

They cited Blanche’s willingness to fire career prosecutors and FBI agents to satisfy Trump’s political interests, his belief that Trump has a “right” and a “duty” to shape federal probes, as well as the DOJ’s $1.8 billion slush fund as examples that have so far tanked their faith in Blanche’s abilities to remain independent of the White House.

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that the massive slush fund was illegitimate, as it had been created through an arrangement between two entities—Trump’s personal attorneys and Trump’s administration—effectively acting in cahoots. In doing so, the judge dismantled months of Blanche’s handiwork, killing the taxpayer-funded reparations intended for Trump’s supporters, and also nixing the addendum Blanche had penned that granted Trump and his family unusual immunity from tax claims.

The judge also referred all the attorneys involved—including Blanche—to state bar agencies for potential disciplinary proceedings.

Rocah and Carbone further flamed Blanche for giving a platform to Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and a prolific sex trafficker in her own right, to lie about her experiences, and then rewarding her with a cushy prison transfer.

“Todd Blanche has shown himself unable or unwilling to stop prioritizing the interests of Donald Trump above all else,” the attorneys wrote.

They are far from alone in their criticism. More than 1,200 former DOJ employees sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday in unified opposition to Blanche’s confirmation, writing that Blanche has “utterly failed” his oath to support and defend the Constitution.

“The consequences of Blanche’s attacks on DOJ’s apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country. They’ve meant that much of the department’s vital work isn’t being done, or isn’t being done as well—leaving communities less safe, Americans’ rights less protected, and our national security more vulnerable,” the letter reads.

“The culture of fear Blanche has instilled within DOJ’s workforce must end. Respect for career professionals must return,” the letter continues. “Would-be job applicants need to believe the Justice Department lives up to the virtue in its name. And instead of exhibiting fealty to the president, the attorney general must heed John Adams’s admonition that our republic remains a ‘government of laws, not of men.’

“For the sake of the institution where we once proudly served, we urge you to reject Todd Blanche’s nomination,” the cohort concluded. ...