Interim U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche faces potential obstacles from within the Republican Party as he faces his confirmation hearing to officially lead the Justice Department.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn told reporters Wednesday that he remains skeptical about appointing Blanche to head the nation’s federal law enforcement agency.
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“I’m not ready to vote yes,” Cornyn said.
The senator’s comments came a day before a key U.S. Senate committee votes to advance Blanche’s nomination.
Mr. Cornyn cited concerns about the current management of the Justice Department, which Mr. Blanche has led on an acting basis since April.
Blanche previously served as a deputy attorney general and served as a criminal defense attorney for Republican leaders before President Donald Trump’s second term.
But Cornyn has questioned the unusual settlement that Blanche brokered in May in response to a lawsuit filed by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service.
Under the agreement, Mr. Trump and his family would be protected from future Internal Revenue Service audits. The plan also created a so-called “anti-weaponization fund” to allow individuals deemed to have faced allegations of political persecution to seek financial compensation.
Blanche announced her withdrawal from the Anti-Weaponization Fund following bipartisan backlash. Critics have described it as a slush fund benefiting the president’s allies.
Earlier this month, a federal judge also ruled the settlement illegal and accused Blanche of double dealing, working on behalf of both the federal government and President Trump as a private citizen.
During his confirmation hearing, Blanche reiterated to lawmakers that the fund had disappeared, but Cornyn said he was waiting for written assurances on the matter.
“I have not seen a single piece of writing that has responded to my request,” Cornyn told reporters.
Committee vote looming
Cornyn spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination Thursday, the first step in a broader Senate debate over her confirmation.
For Branch to advance to a broader confirmation hearing, all Republicans on the committee must vote in his favor.
Republicans have generally been cautious about opposing President Trump, but Cornyn has become increasingly vocal in his public criticism of the president in recent months.
In May, President Trump endorsed Cornyn’s main opponent, former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton won the Republican nomination in May, allowing him to advance to the November midterm elections.
The race, which pits Paxton against upstart Democratic congressman James Talarico, is expected to be one of the closest Senate races of the season.
Cornyn will leave the Senate after more than 20 years when his term expires in January.
At a press conference in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump was asked about Cornyn’s reluctance to confirm Blanche as attorney general.
“Well, all I can say is that Todd Blanche is an outstanding person,” Trump said before questioning Cornyn’s motives.
“Maybe John Cornyn is angry that I didn’t support him. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t heard that there’s a problem.”
Critics have accused Mr. Branch of putting loyalty to Mr. Trump above all else, including using the Justice Department to prosecute the president’s political opponents.
For example, under Blanche’s watch, the Justice Department chose to indict former FBI Director James Comey for a second time over social media messages made out of seashells.
Blanche has denied claims that her relationship with Trump poses a conflict of interest, saying she acts independently of the president.
But a hearing before U.S. lawmakers in mid-July did little to dispel that perception. Republican Sen. John Kennedy asked Branch at the time if he considered Trump a “friend.”
“I’m his lawyer,” Blanche answered, but quickly corrected herself, “I was his lawyer.”
The Justice Department has a long tradition of prosecutorial independence, where criminal prosecutions are not intended to be influenced by politics.
