WATCH: Padilla: “Todd Blanche Is Not Fit” to Serve as Attorney General

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, slammed President Trump's nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, during the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on Blanche's nomination. Padilla made clear that Blanche is utterly unfit to be U.S. Attorney General given his failure to prioritize the interests of the American people and the rule of law over President Trump's personal whims and demands.

In his remarks, Padilla raised significant concerns regarding Blanche's nomination hearing, in which Blanche admitted he was Trump's lawyer, before correcting himself. Padilla also detailed Blanche's refusal to commit to preserving the DOJ's independence from political interference, including any political influence from Trump.

"The Attorney General isn't supposed to be the President's lawyer. The Attorney General is supposed to be the country's lawyer," said Senator Padilla. "When I asked Mr. Blanche whether the Department of Justice has an obligation to remain independent from improper political influence, including influence by the President, he refused to say yes."

Padilla also underscored Blanche's failure to hold the Trump Administration accountable for violations of the law, including the Department of Homeland Security's killings of U.S. citizens and noncitizens, and highlighted Blanche's apparent willingness to help Trump financially reward January 6 rioters using taxpayer funds.

"Mr. Blanche has shown little interest in ensuring that federal officials themselves are held accountable when they violate the law, including, but not limited to the Department of Homeland Security. He basically stated that his belief is that the Department should investigate and police themselves," continued Senator Padilla. "They're clearly incapable of doing so. Federal agents shooting innocent civilians, killing United States citizens in the streets of our country, detainees dying in record numbers in detention centers that are violating the standards that they're supposed to maintain. So it's clear that under Todd Blanche, the primary job of the Justice Department will be to do things like defend all options to reward January 6 rioters who attacked the United States Capitol and violently assaulted police officers. To ensure immunity for the President and his family for tax crimes."

Padilla warned that under Blanche, the Department of Justice would continue to enable Trump's corruption and concluded by urging his colleagues to oppose Blanche's nomination.

"This is not equal justice under the law," concluded Senator Padilla. "This is not the Department of Justice the way it's supposed to be. This is not an Attorney General that the American people deserve. Our country deserves better. Todd Blanche is not fit, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this nomination."

A majority of the committee nevertheless voted to advance Blanche's nomination to the full Senate with all Republicans voting in favor of Blanche and all Democrats voting in opposition.

Padilla has consistently fought to hold Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) accountable. Last month, Padilla questioned Blanche during a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing, demanding answers about the anti-weaponization fund and allegiance to Trump. Additionally, Padilla, along with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), led fourteen Senators in urging Blanche and the DOJ to halt any efforts to compensate January 6 rioters and commit to defending taxpayers in any January 6-related lawsuits. In May, Padilla slammed Blanche for establishing the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" slush fund and highlighted that the slush fund could be used to compensate or financially reward convicted January 6 insurrectionists. Last year, Padilla voted against advancing Blanche for U.S. Deputy Attorney General and warned against nominating Trump's allies who refuse to commit to upholding key constitutional provisions.

Video of Padilla's remarks is available here.

Transcript of Padilla's remarks is available below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Colleagues, and members of the public. We've been hearing a lot about this tax immunity deal. We've heard about Todd Blanche's mismanagement of the Epstein case and files. The evidence of Todd Blanche carrying out Trump's political agenda of vindictiveness. And I'll have my comments on that as well. But I want to bring us back to what it is that's before us today.

150 years ago, Congress created the Department of Justice and entrusted the Attorney General with the simple but profound responsibility to serve as the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Let me repeat that: to serve as the nation's chief law enforcement officer. Not the President's lawyer, the American people's lawyer. And even today, go to the Department's website. Its own mission statement lists "independence and impartiality" as its first core value. It says the Department must follow "the facts and the law wherever they may lead, without prejudice or improper influence." 150 years ago, we created the Department of Justice. It exists today with these mission statements and core values. That's the standard. And by that standard, Todd Blanche fails.

During the confirmation hearing, Mr. Blanche was asked whether he and Donald Trump were friends. Remember his response? He said, "I'm his lawyer." And then he tried to correct himself by saying, "Was his lawyer." That's a remarkable slip for someone seeking to become Attorney General of the United States. And colleagues, we know he spent hours and hours over the course of days preparing for the hearing, and yet the first words out of his mouth when asked that question was, "I'm his lawyer."

The Attorney General isn't supposed to be the President's lawyer. The Attorney General is supposed to be the country's lawyer. And if you recall, when I asked Mr. Blanche whether the Department of Justice has an obligation to remain independent from improper political influence, including influence by the President, he refused to say yes. He tried to justify-the Department's part of the executive branch, and he's a member of the cabinet. And the President's agenda, the President's fixations and obsessions, is what he follows. It suggests he sees no problem with the President directing federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute his perceived political enemies. It's not hypothetical. We've seen investigations into former FBI director James Comey, into New York Attorney General Letitia James, into former CIA director John Brennan, into our colleagues, both on committee, Senator Schiff, and not in this committee, Senator Kelly, and more.

At the same time, Mr. Blanche has shown little interest in ensuring that federal officials themselves are held accountable when they violate the law, including, but not limited to the Department of Homeland Security. He basically stated that his belief is that the Department should investigate and police themselves. Remember, I asked him about this. They're clearly incapable of doing so. Federal agents shooting innocent civilians, killing United States citizens in the streets of our country, detainees dying in record numbers in detention centers that are violating the standards that they're supposed to maintain.

So it's clear that under Todd Blanche, the primary job of the Justice Department will be to do things like defend all options to reward January 6 rioters who attacked the United States Capitol and violently assaulted police officers. To ensure immunity for the President and his family for tax crimes. And no, even with this so-called deal, that hasn't changed. Under the supposed deal, Mr. Blanche isn't prevented from creating a new anti-weaponization fund tomorrow by some other name. It does not prevent Mr. Blanche from using taxpayer funds to reward January 6 rioters. It does not prohibit Donald Trump and his sons from receiving immunity for their tax crimes. To me, this doesn't seem like a deal at all.

But ultimately, it does nothing to address the real, fundamental root problem: the Department of Justice with no independence. A Department that enables corruption, corruption that it should be prosecuting. A Department that rewards people who violently stormed the Capitol and assaulted law enforcement. What message does that send to supporters of the President after the next presidential election, when we try to certify future results? All this while the Administration is ignoring the true plight of working families across the country, who feel not just burdened but buried by the increased costs. What does that say to crime victims across the country, survivors of sex trafficking? What does that say to the families of those who have lost their lives at the hands of federal agents? And agents face no accountability.

This is not equal justice under the law. This is not the Department of Justice the way it's supposed to be. This is not an Attorney General that the American people deserve. Our country deserves better. Todd Blanche is not fit, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this nomination.

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