United States President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche has been narrowly confirmed as attorney general – the nation’s top law enforcement official.
The vote brings to an end a lengthy standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April.
Blanche won confirmation in a 50-49 vote overnight, with two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, joining all Democrats to oppose his nomination.
Senator Bill Cassidy cast the deciding vote, a decision closely watched in Washington given the years of acrimony between the Louisiana Republican and Trump.
After the vote, Blanche said he was “deeply honoured by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me”.
Some Republican senators had raised concerns about Blache’s handling of the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his role in establishing Trump’s $1.8bn “anti-weaponisation” fund.
The fund was planned to provide compensation to individuals who alleged government persecution but critics including Murkowski feared it would go to individuals who were prosecuted for participating in the 6 January attack on Congress in 2021.
Blanche eventually pledged to walk back the fund after blowback from Republican senators during his confirmation hearings.
It remains unclear whether the commitment is legally binding or whether Trump could later persuade Blanche, his former personal attorney, to revive a similar scheme under another name.
The issues surrounding Blanche meant Senators Collins and Murkowski held off from backing Blanche, with the latter citing her lack of confidence in Blanche to “check the worst impulses of this administration”.
Murkowski announced on Friday she would oppose Blanche, citing concerns over the “politicisation” of the justice department.
Collins also raised concerns about Blanche’s role in settling Trump’s $10bn lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but said he ultimately trusted Blanche to give the president candid legal advice.
Before casting the deciding vote, Cassidy announced that he believed Blanche was the best option the president would put forward.
“This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr Blanche, in very specific circumstances,” said Cassidy on Friday. “All considered, I will vote for Mr Blanche.”
Cassidy acknowledged Trump is the ultimate decider on the direction of the justice department, but that Senate confirmation would give Blanche “greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed for”. (BBC)