Justice Connection Leads Fight to Prevent Todd Blanche’s Elevation to Attorney General
Todd Blanche has choreographed or overseen some of the worst abuses at the Justice Department in its 155-year history. He’s been largely responsible for the illegal firing of hundreds of career employees and the mass exodus of almost 20,000 of them. He’s run roughshod over decades-old institutional norms – prosecuting the president’s enemies, protecting the president’s allies, eliminating vital offices, diverting officials from their mission-critical work, and violating court orders. While serving the President over the people, he’s all but destroyed DOJ’s independence, upon which the rule of law depends
Confirming Blanche as Attorney General will cement the rampant politicization and corruption at DOJ. That’s why immediately after his nomination on June 8, 2026, Justice Connection launched a multi-tiered campaign to defeat it, leveraging many of the thousands of DOJ alumni in our network along the way.
Here’s some of what we’ve done.
Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee: 1,200+ Former DOJ Employees Oppose Todd Blanche’s Nomination
On July 7, Justice Connection sent a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee signed by more than 1,200 former DOJ employees spanning 14 administrations and thousands of years of collective experience, opposing the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Attorney General.
Justice Connection Testifies Before a Senate Forum: Peter Carr’s Testimony Before U.S. Senators
On July 22, Justice Connection’s Peter Carr testified before a Senate Spotlight Forum on the destruction of DOJ’s career workforce under Todd Blanche's leadership. Justice Connection staff spent over a month coordinating closely with Sen. Booker’s office to make the forum happen: developing the theme, strategizing on lines of questioning and logistics, and finding witnesses. This was the first time Congress has used this such a forum to correct the record after a major confirmation hearing.
“Firings under Todd Blanche's leadership send an unmistakable message: agents, analysts, lawyers, and even spokespeople can be fired simply because of their assigned cases,” Carr told Senators. “Agents or prosecutors who think they’ll be fired for their cases are less likely to accept difficult assignments. And they might start looking more at the long-term consequences of an investigation for their careers, rather than at the facts and the law. That's not the justice we should want for our country.”
Justice Connection Releases Videos
The video features former D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was on the front lines on Jan. 6 and suffered traumatic injuries as a result, and former DOJ prosecutor Mike Gordon, who prosecuted dozens of violent offenders from that day – including many of the most notorious defendants.
Former Trump and DoJ Lawyer Ty Cobb Says Blanche Is Unfit To Be Attorney General
Ty Cobb – who served as a career lawyer at DOJ and later as lawyer for President Trump’s White House – knows better than almost anyone why the rule of law requires DOJ to operate independently from the White House. He explains why:
“If Todd Blanche is confirmed as Attorney General, there will be no ethical lines between the White House and the Attorney General. There are no lines now,” says Cobb. “Todd Blanche is unfit to be Attorney General of the United States.”
Ensuring the Senate Thoroughly Examines Blanche’s Record
Fact Sheet on Todd Blanche’s Devastating Leadership at the Justice Department
We compiled a list of actions Blanche has taken as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General that harmed the department’s workforce, advanced the politicization of the department, undermined the rule of law, and threatened public safety. Our target audience included the Senate, the media, and the public.
Based on input from subject-matter experts in Justice Connection’s DOJ alumni network – former Assistant United States Attorneys, public corruption prosecutors, FBI agents, civil rights and environmental litigators, and more – we prepared questions for the record that Blanche should answer before Senators vote on his nomination.
TV Appearances
Peter Carr joins “The Weeknight” on MS Now
Michael Feinberg joins “On the Line” on MS Now
Stacey Young joins “The Weekend” on MS Now
Podcasts Appearances
Live video with Frank Figliuzzi and Stacey Young, executive director and founder of Justice Connection.
“His nomination should be laughed at.” Stacey Young argues that it’s significant to have 1,200+ former Justice Department employees urge Senators to block confirmation of Todd Blanche.
Stacey Young joined Legal AF’s All Rise News podcast to discuss the opposition against Todd Blanche.
News Hits
We’ve already appeared in major media outlets over 25 times to discuss why Todd Blanche would be a disastrous Attorney General. You can find a list of most of these hits here.
Substack Pieces
Justice Connection: A Weird Thing Happened After 1,200+ DOJ Alumni Signed a Letter Opposing Todd Blanche
Never before has this many DOJ alumni publicly spoken out against an AG nominee. Castigating those signatories, considering the level of alumni support Blanche received, is the height of hypocrisy.
Justice Connection: We’ve worked with Todd Blanche. He shouldn’t be attorney general.
Former SDNY prosecutors write that the man who’s used DOJ as the sword and shield for the President bears no resemblance to the rule-following public servant they once knew well.
Justice Connection: Victims Ignored Is Justice Denied
Upholding victims’ rights is an essential part of serving as a federal prosecutor. Under Blanche’s leadership, DOJ has ignored its obligations to crime victims and lost their trust.
The Contrarian: Todd Blanche Is Still Donald Trump’s Personal Lawyer
Peter Carr, Justice Connection’s communications director, wrote an opinion piece on Blanche’s nomination. “Federal prosecutors,” he argues, “represent much more than one man, even if that man is the president. They represent us. The people of the United States. They understand that we are, as John Adams advocated, a government of laws, not of men.
“Blanche has yet to demonstrate he understands that difference.”
Press Releases
Liz Oyer’s Courage Should Be Praised, Not Maligned
“Today, Liz Oyer courageously shared with Congress the circumstances of her illegal firing and subsequent retaliation by Todd Blanche.
“Senators should heed her testimony. Career employees at the Justice Department must be able to express their views on the law and department policy without fearing termination or retaliation. They must have the ability to make decisions based on the facts and the law, not whether their decision will anger the President or his allies.” (abridged)
Statement on Blanche’s Response to 1,200+ Former DOJ Officials Opposing His Nomination
“Todd Blanche’s response to more than 1,200 former DOJ officials opposing his nomination was to minimize and dismiss the very people who know the department best. That contempt for DOJ’s workforce is exactly what makes him unfit to lead it.
“It is unprecedented for this many former DOJ employees – who span 14 administrations and worked in components across the department – to warn the Senate that a nominee for Attorney General cannot be trusted. And the truth is the number would be far higher if not for the culture of fear and retribution Blanche has fostered inside and outside the department.”
Statement on Intent to Nominate Todd Blanche to Serve as Attorney General
“Todd Blanche has never stopped acting as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. He has used his high position at the department to enter into a corrupt deal with the President and his family, advance vindictive prosecutions, illegally fire career employees, smear whistleblowers, and attack the judiciary.
“Blanche has abandoned what he learned about blind justice and ethical law enforcement as a career federal prosecutor. His unwavering fealty to the President and destruction of institutional norms should disqualify him from leading the only agency with its foundational virtue in its name.
“A vote to confirm him as Attorney General represents a rejection of the rule of law.”
