Hirono Presses Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche on DOJ Weaponization, Rule of Law

~ Watch Senator Hirono's Questions Here ~

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, pressed Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche on his role in weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against President Trump's perceived enemies during Mr. Blanche's nomination hearing. During her question line, Senator Hirono also questioned Mr. Blanche on his failure to rescind the anti-weaponization slush fund and got Blanche to commit on the record to cooperating with the state of New Mexico's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch.

"Mr. Blanche, you see nothing wrong with the President treating DOJ as his own personal law firm to use against his perceived enemies and as a way of helping his friends," said Senator Hirono. "You oversaw the botched release of the Epstein files, denying justice once again to survivors who have been waiting so long for it. You have no business being the Attorney General of the United States."

Earlier in the hearing, following a question by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), Mr. Blanche asserted that he is "the President's lawyer." Senator Hirono raised alarms about Blanche's role in enabling DOJ to serve as President Trump's personal law firm. She cited a social media post from President Trump calling for George Soros to be criminally charged, and a DOJ investigation into Soros that was opened shortly after that post. Senator Hirono also highlighted DOJ's lawsuits seeking full voter lists as part of a campaign to suppress the votes of American citizens, asking Blanche if any of the judges in the 14 resolved lawsuits have sided with DOJ.

"The answer is no," said Senator Hirono. "These 14 federal judges, some of them were Trump appointees, disagreed with DOJ's position."

Senator Hirono asked Blanche about public statements he previously made declaring "war" on federal judges who were ruling against the administration. Blanche clarified that he did not believe federal judges should be impeached for ruling against the administration.

Senator Hirono concluded her line of questioning by pressing Blanche on his memo that effectively terminated DOJ's cryptocurrency investigations and prosecutions. Senator Hirono led her colleagues in calling on DOJ to reconsider that memo. When the memo was issued, Blanche held significant cryptocurrency assets. Senator Hirono led her colleagues in a letter questioning Blanche's cryptocurrency conflicts, but he has not responded. Since Blanche's memo eviscerating cryptocurrency enforcement work, Americans have reported over $11 billion in crypto fraud losses to the FBI in the past year.

"It is clear to me your leadership will be a continuation of what we have seen so far at the Trump Department of Justice. You are more likely to be called the Department of Retribution and Corruption," said Senator Hirono.

Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, Senator Hirono has been fighting back against the Trump Administration's flagrant attacks on the rule of law. In March, on the Senate Floor, Senator Hirono opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act which, unlike its name suggests, would make it significantly harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote. Additionally, Senator Hirono has consistently raised alarms about the Administration's failure to adequately address cryptocurrency related crimes. Senator Hirono has also consistently sought justice for sexual assault survivors, including those assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein and President Trump.

To see the full video of Senator Hirono's questions click here.

###

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet