McIver Attends Blanche Hearing, As Case Continues

Congresswoman Prosecuted by Trump DOJ: "Blanche has repeatedly used the power of the Justice Department to target Trump's political opponents and shield his friends…"

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), who is facing criminal prosecution from Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ), attended today's hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche sought to become the Attorney General of the United States.

Blanche, who personally ordered the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka outside of Delaney Hall in May 2025, is central to the DOJ's still-pending case against McIver. Body-worn camera footage from the incident at Delaney Hall revealed that Blanche gave direct orders that transformed a routine congressional oversight visit into a chaotic and highly publicized confrontation, ultimately leading to the controversial federal prosecution of McIver. At today's hearing Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) questioned Blanche directly about the Mayor's arrest.

McIver made the following statement on today's hearing:

"Todd Blanche has repeatedly used the power of the Justice Department to target Trump's political opponents and shield his friends-I've seen this firsthand. The attorney general should not be a personal attorney for the president, but a lawyer for the American people," said Rep. McIver. "The attorney general's job is simple: uphold the rule of law and do right by the American people. Today's hearing shows once again that Todd Blanche will do neither. Instead, he'll continue to protect Donald Trump and his family from accountability, pursue politically motivated cases, and bend the Justice Department to serve his own ambitions, no matter who gets hurt."

Blanche retained authority over the case as it progressed through the legal hurdles. For months, apparently to hedge against lingering questions about the then-U.S. Attorney Alina Habba's authority, Blanche also appeared on the government's court filings. Habba, like Blanche, served as Trump's personal attorney before joining the DOJ.

McIver's case is one of many that demonstrates Blanche's willingness to use the powers of his office to satisfy Trump's desires. Today's hearing reinforced that pattern, underscoring that Blanche is not only unfit to serve as attorney general, but that his confirmation would further erode the Justice Department's independence and integrity.

Additional resources around Blanche's involvement in the case against McIver are available upon request. Please reach out to [email protected].

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