Booker Urges Judiciary Republicans to Reject Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination, Citing Extensive Record of Misconduct

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley urging Republican colleagues to oppose Todd Blanche's nomination for Attorney General.

Booker's letter lays out an extensive record of alleged misconduct including: misleading Congress, politicizing the Department of Justice, retaliating against career public servants, mishandling the release of the Epstein files, and undermining the rule of law. Booker's letter follows Blanche's order purporting to rescind the Department of Justice's so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund."

Booker argues that the action does not resolve the underlying concerns surrounding the agreement and instead leaves in place sweeping immunity protections for President Trump, his family, associates, and others from potential federal, civil and criminal liability. Booker also contends that the order does not prevent future payments through other avenues or address the broader effort to use the Justice Department to protect political allies from accountability.

"The order is legally defective on its face. It is not signed by President Trump or his counsel and is therefore unenforceable under the terms of the original agreement," wrote Senator Booker.

"The order also fails to foreclose the Department from settling claims by individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 attack through other avenues, and Mr. Blanche makes no commitment to reject such claims. And the clarification regarding the immunity directive only confirms that the sweeping immunity for the President remains fully in effect - prohibiting every federal agency from investigating or prosecuting the President, his family, his associates, and an undefined universe of other individuals, not merely for tax liability, but for any civil or criminal offense, known or unknown, as of the date the directive took effect," continued Senator Booker.

"The question before this Committee is not merely whether Mr. Blanche is fit to lead the Department of Justice. It is whether the Senate will hold the line on the principle that no one, including the President of the United States, is above the law," wrote Senator Booker.

"Courts have lost confidence in the representations of DOJ attorneys, and public trust in the Department has been severely undermined. His record is rife with examples of prosecutorial misconduct and a disregard for the rule of law-if not outright disdain for it," said Senator Booker.

"A vote to confirm Mr. Blanche is a vote to ratify all the misconduct outlined in this letter: the collusive settlement, the immunity deals, the retaliation against career prosecutors, the stonewalling of Epstein survivors, and the subordination of the rule of law to one man's personal and political interests. The American people are watching. History will record this vote. We urge our colleagues to cast it accordingly," concluded Senator Booker.

Read the full text of Senator Booker's letter here.

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