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Bonus: Cory Booker on Blanche, Epstein, and 2028

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How the Senator approaches his role in the Judiciary Committee.

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'Biggest red flag' in unredacted Epstein files given away by Todd Blanche: legal expert

Raw Story

1 hour ago

'Biggest red flag' in unredacted Epstein files given away by Todd Blanche: legal expert

The journalist and lawyer suing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spotted "the biggest red flag" after unredacted Epstein records were handed over.In an episode of her podcast, Katie Phang discussed her case against Blanche that demands the release of the Epstein files with appropriate redactions. It marked the first time she's spoken about the case since the DOJ revealed that it handed over unredacted records from the Epstein files.Judge Emmet Sullivan is reviewing the unredacted records privately and will decide what's worth releasing. However, in a court filing, the DOJ justified its redactions and mentioned an accidental redaction of Jeffrey Epstein's email address."Todd Blanche admitted in his filing yesterday that Jeffrey Epstein's email address was redacted. He calls it an inadvertent redaction, but it's been redacted and has since been lifted," Phang explained. "Now, you may not think that's a big deal, but I think it's a very, very, very big deal. And in fact, that is the biggest red flag that you could find from what has happened here."The main argument in Phang's lawsuit is that the DOJ made improper redactions under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and she's demanding they either release the files or explain their redactions. The inadvertent redaction of Epstein's email address "shows that the way that the redactions were done here was wrong," Phang said."This wasn't some one-off mistake," Phang said. "We know for a fact that the Department of Justice released over and over again, hundreds and hundreds of times, the personal identifying information of several victims."Phang explained that even though the DOJ "wants to say, 'Oops, sorry, we missed it,'" the release of victims' names but not Epstein's email address proves the "process was flawed. We know that it didn't work, and now we know that it also worked to protect the identity of Jeffrey Epstein, the main perpetrator of these crimes."

Far Left

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Trump Re-Ups the Anti-Weaponization Fund, Reinforcing the Demand That Todd Blanche Kill It for Good

Reason.com

2 hours ago

Trump Re-Ups the Anti-Weaponization Fund, Reinforcing the Demand That Todd Blanche Kill It for Good

The president is still pushing the idea of using taxpayer money to reward Capitol rioters, contradicting the attorney general nominee's assurance that it won't happen.

Center Right

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Why Trump Won’t Just Break the Blanche Impasse

National Review

2 hours ago

Why Trump Won’t Just Break the Blanche Impasse

The president could get his AG pick confirmed easily, if only he’d give up the slush fund.

Center Right

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The Burning Hatred From Neocons Is Good For J.D. Vance In 2028

The Federalist

3 hours ago

The Burning Hatred From Neocons Is Good For J.D. Vance In 2028

J.D. Vance is not in sync with that crowd. That's why they hate him.

Far Right

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Todd Blanche's Nomination Is in Trouble. It Should Have Been Doomed From the Beginning.

Reason.com

5 hours ago

Todd Blanche's Nomination Is in Trouble. It Should Have Been Doomed From the Beginning.

By haggling over the details of Trump's flagrantly corrupt IRS "settlement," dissenting Republican senators give a pass to Blanche's unethical and illegal approval of it.

Center Right

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Trump: ‘I don’t really blame’ Cornyn for holding up Blanche confirmation

The Hill News

5 hours ago

Trump: ‘I don’t really blame’ Cornyn for holding up Blanche confirmation

President Trump said Friday that he doesn’t blame Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for blocking the nomination of Todd Blanche as attorney general because he’s doing it as retaliation for Trump supporting his GOP primary opponent. “This is being done by a senator, and I don’t really blame him to be honest with you. I endorsed…

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Trump's anti-weaponization fund comments reignite Blanche confirmation fight

Axios

6 hours ago

Trump's anti-weaponization fund comments reignite Blanche confirmation fight

The Trump administration is still pushing lawmakers to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, even as President Trump defends the "anti-weaponization" fund holding Blanche's confirmation hostage.The big picture: The "anti-weaponization" fund has been the red line for Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). The lawmakers have refused to vote for Blanche until the DOJ put into writing that aspects of the deal aren't moving forward.Trump said Friday the fund is dead, but he didn't seem happy about it."I wish it weren't [dead]," Trump said of the fund. He added that he wanted to see people who "were horribly treated, horribly abused" by the government be compensated. Friction point: Tillis seemed to take issue with Trump defending the fund on Truth Social, retweeting a screenshot of the president's words on Friday and writing that Trump had "made it clear" that the fund "is still alive.""I will continue working in good faith to put an end [to] this legal and political albatross and prevent any potential misallocation of taxpayer dollars," Tillis wrote, adding that Blanche had been forthright in discussions.Earlier Friday, the president went after Cornyn, and said he would "always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure."Cornyn also re-shared a post Friday that said it "does not sound like citizen Trump has agreed to end the Fund."Catch up quick: The president on Thursday floated withdrawing Blanche's name and keeping him on in an acting capacity until Cornyn and Tillis leave the Senate this January.But on Friday, Trump said Blanche should be "immediately approved," a call seconded by members of his administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a Friday post that the Senate shouldn't go on recess until Blanche is confirmed.The White House also released a demand to confirm Blanche "without delay" on its website Friday with a list of endorsements from law enforcement groups, former DOJ officials and members of Congress, among others.What we're watching: While the battle over Blanche plays out in Washington, attorneys for the president said Friday that they'd appeal a Miami-based federal judge's order that blasted the extraordinary deal to drop the IRS suit against his own government.U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams wrote in her scathing order earlier this month that the lawsuit had been a "bad faith" means to an end and blocked the parties from referring to the settlement in any official proceedings — but Trump is still fighting.Go deeper: The major controversies stalling Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination

Center Left

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Trump defends $1.8bn slush fund that is holding up Todd Blanche confirmation

US news | The Guardian

7 hours ago

Trump defends $1.8bn slush fund that is holding up Todd Blanche confirmation

President calls for former personal defense lawyer to be ‘immediately approved’ as attorney generalDonald Trump has defended controversial plans for a $1.8bn slush fund even as they threaten to derail the nomination of his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche for US attorney general.Blanche “should be immediately approved” by the US Senate, the president declared in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday morning, defending the payout scheme proposed by his officials in the Department of Justice as it holds up Blanche’s confirmation. Continue reading...

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Bonus: Cory Booker on Blanche, Epstein, and 2028

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Bonus: Cory Booker on Blanche, Epstein, and 2028

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