WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (DC Times Online) — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she will vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general, citing concerns that the Justice Department has become too political and that Blanche’s actions have weakened its independence.
The decision does not automatically block Blanche’s nomination. But it removes one Republican vote from his likely support and makes the full Senate vote more difficult. The exact number of additional votes Blanche would need depends on which senators attend and how the remaining members vote.
Why Collins is opposing Blanche
Collins said Blanche is a “capable lawyer,” but argued that he had taken actions that further eroded the Justice Department’s independence.
She pointed to several matters:
- Blanche’s approval of an Internal Revenue Service-related settlement. Collins said the arrangement protected President Donald Trump, his sons and the Trump family business from audits in a way that was not available to other taxpayers.
- Blanche’s role in creating or approving an approximately $1.8 billion Justice Department fund intended to compensate people who claimed they had been targeted by government agencies. Critics called it an “anti-weaponization fund.”
- A reported pledge by Blanche to seek a ban on mailing abortion medication. The supplied records do not identify the organization involved or provide the full terms of the reported pledge.
- Justice Department efforts involving Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Collins said their conduct was “ill-advised, but constitutionally protected.” The available records do not establish whether formal indictments were issued or what charges were under consideration.
“For these reasons, I will vote against this nomination,” Collins said in her statement.
More than 1,200 former Justice Department employees also opposed Blanche’s nomination, Collins said. The former employees’ full statement was not provided in the available records.
What happened to the fund?
The Justice Department formally rescinded the anti-weaponization fund in an order dated Aug. 2, after negotiations involving Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
The department’s order said no members had been appointed, no money had been transferred, no claims process had been created and no claims had been paid before the fund was terminated.
“This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund,” the order said.
Cornyn and Tillis said they were pleased that the department had issued the order. President Donald Trump had defended the fund and Blanche’s nomination on July 31, according to a public statement reported by CNN.
Collins nevertheless cited the fund as one reason for her opposition. Her statement focused on Blanche’s role in establishing or approving it, rather than only on the fund’s later rescission.
Where the nomination stands
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche’s nomination Aug. 4 in a 12-10 vote along party lines. The nomination now goes to the full Senate.
Republican Sens. John Curtis of Utah and Jon Husted of Ohio have said they support Blanche, according to their public statements. Other senators’ positions and attendance could affect whether the nomination succeeds.
The Senate confirms presidential nominees by a majority vote. Because the available reports differ on the number of Republican votes Blanche can lose, they do not establish a single definitive vote threshold for his confirmation.
The committee vote moved Blanche forward, but Collins’ opposition means the nomination is now centered on whether other Republican senators will join her or support the nominee.
Blanche is serving as acting attorney general and deputy attorney general while his nomination is pending, according to the supplied coverage. The Justice Department’s leadership records were not included in the available documents.
The confirmation process is taking place in Washington, where Collins’ decision has made the department’s independence, the IRS settlement and the terminated fund central issues in the Senate debate.
