A group of approximately 1,200 alumni from the Department of Justice (DOJ) has penned a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders, urging them to reject the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for the permanent position. Blanche is slated to undergo confirmation hearings on July 15 and 16.
The signatories, who identify as former DOJ employees from both Republican and Democratic administrations, expressed concerns over Blanche's conduct and the direction of the department under his leadership. The letter specifically criticizes Blanche for dismissing numerous DOJ employees, some of whom, they claim, were removed for working on cases that displeting the president.
"The consequences of Blanche’s attacks on DOJ’s apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country," the letter states. "They’ve meant that much of the department’s vital work isn’t being done, or isn’t being done as well – leaving communities less safe, Americans’ rights less protected, and our national security more vulnerable."
However, a DOJ spokesperson characterized the signatories as "partisan activists," pointing to individuals like former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat known for anti-Trump rhetoric, and JP Cooney, a former prosecutor who served as Jack Smith's top deputy and is campaigning on holding Trump accountable. Other signatories mentioned include Aaron Zelinsky, who worked on the Mueller investigation; Robert Turkavage, a former Democratic congressional candidate; Sara Zdeb, who worked for Senator Dick Durbin; Candice Cook, former DOJ chief diversity & inclusion officer; and Sam Bagenstos, who held political appointments in the Biden and Obama administrations and has criticized Trump.
The DOJ spokesperson added, "It looks like they passed a petition around the MS NOW green room."
Law enforcement organizations, including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Major County Sheriffs of America, have expressed support for Blanche's nomination. The letter from the DOJ alumni notes that as former employees, they are bound by an "oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the occupant of the White House."
The opposition to Blanche has drawn parallels to a previous instance where 51 former intelligence officials signed a letter in 2020 suggesting the Hunter Biden laptop scandal had the "classic earmarks of a Russian information operation." Many of those same outlets later reported the laptop's contents were authentic after federal investigators examined them. James Clapper, a signatory of that letter, maintained that a cautionary note was appropriate at the time, though he acknowledged the letter did not definitively state the laptop was a Russian operation.