Justice Connection Led 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 and protecting his 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.
Justice Connection is proud of the months-long, multi-tiered campaign to defeat his nomination – in Congress, in the press, and in the public square – leveraging many of the thousands of DOJ alumni in our network.
Blanche was confirmed by the narrowest of margins, but our campaign ensured that history won’t forget what Congress’s failure to check his power means for the institution, and the American public it’s supposed to serve.
Click on the numbered items below to see the actions we took.
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. This was the largest showing of alumni opposition to an Attorney General nominee in history (for perspective, only 77 alumni sent a letter in support of the nomination). Sen. Susan Collins cited our letter as a reason she voted "no."
SENATE TESTIMONY: Peter Carr’s Testimony Before U.S. Senators
On July 22, Justice Connection’s Peter Carr testified during a Senate shadow hearing on the destruction of DOJ’s career workforce under Todd Blanche's leadership. Justice Connection staff spent over a month coordinating the hearing with Sen. Cory Booker’s office: developing the theme, strategizing on lines of questioning and logistics, and finding witnesses. This was the first time Congress has used this type of 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.”
IN-HOUSE VIDEOS
Justice Connection made a video featuring 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 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. We made a video where 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.”
LOBBYING & TOOLS FOR SENATORS
We worked regularly with numerous Senate offices throughout the process, and provided members of our DOJ alumni network with talking points they used to lobby their senators -- especially in key states. We also published documents to assist senators during the confirmation process:
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 joined “The Weeknight” on MS NOW
Michael Feinberg joined “On the Line” on MS NOW
Stacey Young joined “The Weekend” on MS NOW
PODCAST APPEARANCES
Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast
The Justice Connection’s Stacey Young joined to discuss just how dangerous it would be to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General.
Stacey joined Tim Dickinson to discuss the Trump Administration’s tangible impacts on the Department of Justice’s integrity. Young underscored that Todd Blanche’s personal loyalty to Trump makes him utterly unqualified to represent the United States.
Justice Matters with Glenn Kirschner
Stacey sat down with Glenn Kirschner to discuss the postponement of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination.
Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
Stacey Young joined Joyce Vance to discuss the many ways that Blanche is unsuited for the role of Attorney General.
Stacey Young spoke with Terry Gerton about the 1,200 former Justice Department officials taking the unusual step of publicly opposing the nomination of Todd Blanche as Attorney General.
Live video with former FBI agent Frank Figliuzzi and Stacey Young.
“His nomination should be laughed at.” Stacey Young argued that senators should listen to the 1,200+ former Justice Department employees who urged them to vote against Blanche.
Stacey Young joined Legal AF’s All Rise News podcast to discuss alumni opposition Blanche.
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
Statement on the Advancement of Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General
“Todd Blanche’s craven assurances do nothing to ensure that the Justice Department will cease its vindictive prosecutions, stop violating court orders and attacking judges, commit to complying with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, end its devastating assault on its own workforce, or start prioritizing the interests of the people over the President’s. They also won’t prohibit the department from continuing to make corrupt payments to the President’s allies through other means, or end the unprecedented and iniquitous tax immunity deal for the President, his family, and their businesses.” (Abridged)
Statement on the Senate Impasse Regarding Todd Blanche’s AG Nomination
“Today’s developments show the importance of Congress’s oversight powers. When faced with a nominee who has shown himself to be first and foremost the President’s lawyer rather than the American people’s, senators put their foot down…. We need an Attorney General who respects the rule of law and DOJ’s career employees who uphold it.” (Abridged)
Liz Oyer’s Courage Should Be Praised, Not Maligned
“Senators should heed [Liz Oyer’s] 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….” (Abridged)
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…. A vote to confirm him as Attorney General represents a rejection of the rule of law.” (Abridged)
NEWS HITS
Justice Connection appeared in over 30 news stories about the Blanche nomination.
New York Times, 6/8/26
The Guardian, 6/8/26
ABC News, 6/8/26
Scott MacFarlane Reports, 6/8/26
Jerusalem Post, 6/9/26
The Contrarian, 6/9/26
Foreign Policy Journal, 6/14/26
Politico, 7/7/26
The Hill, 7/7/26
Washington Examiner, 7/7/26
Daily Mail, 7/7/26
MS NOW, 7/7/26
Alaska News Source, 7/7/26
London Insider, 7/8/26
Slate, 7/9/26
America, America, 7/10/26
Financial Times, 7/10/26
Penn Live, 7/11/25
The Contrarian, 7/11/26
Nola.com, 7/12/26
Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance, 7/12/26
New York Times, 7/12/26
Fox News, 7/14/26
The Federalist, 7/14/26
MS NOW, 7/14/26
NOTUS, 7/14/26
The New Republic, 7/15/26
Scott MacFarlane Reports, 7/16/26
Minnesota Reformer, 7/23/26
Alternet, 7/23/26
Scott MacFarlane Reports, 8/6/26
The Hill, 8/8/26
