Durbin Slams DOJ “Deal” On “Anti-Weaponization” Slush Fund During Senate Judiciary Committee Markup On Todd Blanche’s Nomination To Be Attorney General

Durbin Slams DOJ "Deal" On "Anti-Weaponization" Slush Fund During Senate Judiciary Committee Markup On Todd Blanche's Nomination To Be Attorney General

Durbin: "The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement and the cop-beaters fund can easily be revived with a new DOJ order the day after Mr. Blanche is confirmed."

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today's Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting where he spoke against the nomination of Todd Blanche, President Trump's pick to be U.S. Attorney General.

Durbin slammed Blanche's so-called "deal" to kill the "anti-weaponization" fund. During his opening, Durbin noted Mr. Blanche's statements on the slush fund and the IRS immunity agreement are not signed by the parties to the settlement agreement and are therefore unenforceable. The parties could still sue to enforce the agreement and the cop-beaters fund can easily be revived with a new DOJ order the day after Mr. Blanche is confirmed.

In addition to the slush fund, Durbin also noted Mr. Blanche is not qualified to be the Attorney General due to his mishandling of the Epstein files and failing the survivors of Epstein's abuse, weaponizing DOJ, acting as President Trump's personal attorney, obtaining thousands in crypto assets and enriching the President, and purging career DOJ officials.

Key Quotes:

"The political escapade of the last week has made it clearer than ever that Todd Blanche has no business serving as our nation's chief law enforcement officer. Two Republican members of this Committee said they would not vote for Mr. Blanche unless the J6 cop-beater slush fund was permanently and irrevocably terminated… President Trump responded as we might have guessed as he always does-by doubling down on his position and personally attacking these members."

"To my Republican colleagues: you gave Mr. Blanche the benefit of the doubt when you supported his nomination to be Deputy Attorney General. Seventeen months later, there is no doubt where his loyalty will lie… Mr. Blanche engineered an agreement, an understanding, a settlement, you name it, that said Donald Trump will never be held responsible for any violations of tax crimes before the date of this document that was signed."

"Prior to his hearing, Mr. Blanche told me he 'made a mistake' by creating the January 6 slush fund… But when I asked him about this under oath, Mr. Blanche falsely claimed that he never made this statement. Mr. Blanche's willingness to casually lie under oath about a statement he made in a room full of witnesses shows the lengths he will go to avoid offending President Trump."

"Mr. Blanche claimed that he would recuse himself from matters involving President Trump in his personal capacity. Yet, he personally signed the agreement releasing President Trump, his family, and Trump businesses from tax liability."

"One of Mr. Blanche's first acts as Deputy Attorney General was to issue a memo gutting DOJ's crypto-crime enforcement, which allowed the President to rake in a $1.4 billion crypto windfall in the last year, even as Americans reported billions of dollars in crypto fraud losses. Meanwhile, Mr. Blanche still held, through his children and grandchildren, at least $150,000 in crypto assets."

"When scrutiny of the Epstein cover-up intensified, Mr. Blanche participated in secret meetings in the White House Situation Room to strategize about protecting Trump, not Epstein survivors. Mr. Blanche volunteered to interview convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, a transparent attempt to exonerate President Trump. Just days later, she was transferred to a minimum-security camp, which is unheard of for serious offenders like her."

"Mr. Blanche agreed to meet with Epstein survivors-after months of pleas-only when his nomination was in jeopardy… And when he finally met with them, it was [for] only an hour… It is clear that Mr. Blanche hopes to sweep the Epstein scandal under the rug. I thank the [Epstein] survivors here in the room today and around the country for continuing to advocate for all survivors and speak truth to power."

"Mr. Blanche has played a key role in terminating thousands of DOJ officials… The goal is clear: to replace these DOJ officials with unqualified MAGA loyalists who will rubberstamp President Trump's corruption. Under Mr. Blanche's leadership, more than 16,000 employees have left the Department-including more than a quarter of its attorneys."

"This isn't about Democrats vs. Republicans. This is about the rule of law vs. lawlessness. The Attorney General is supposed to be the people's lawyer. DOJ should work on behalf of the American people. Mr. Blanche continues to operate as President Trump's personal lawyer, treating the Justice Department like a law firm serving one client-the President."

"The President has made it clear that he plans to keep Mr. Blanche in place as Acting Attorney General, a damning comment on his capacity to honorably serve in this role. This Committee does not need to legitimate Mr. Blanche's appointment by providing our consent."

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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