More than 1,200 former Justice Department employees on Monday urged U.S. senators to reject the confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, citing a 'culture of fear' he has instilled within the DOJ. The letter, organized by the Justice Connection network of DOJ alumni, was first reported by MeidasTouch's chief Washington correspondent, Scott MacFarlane.
Blanche's Leadership Under Fire
'The consequences of Blanche's attacks on DOJ's apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country,' the letter read. '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.'
Stacey Young, executive director of Justice Connection, said in a press release: 'Since his confirmation as Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche has shown time and again that his guiding star is fealty to the President, not the Constitution. That fealty led to the purge of thousands of experienced career employees, a loss that will have a generational impact on the Justice Department's ability to carry out its mission and maintain credibility with the courts and the American people.'
Controversies and Political Purges
During his tenure, Blanche aggressively investigated President Donald Trump's adversaries and announced a nearly $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' to compensate Trump loyalists over alleged political persecution, including Jan. 6 rioters. He also faced criticism for the department's handling of the case files of Trump's former friend and sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein.
The former DOJ employees and appointees from both Republican and Democratic administrations emphasized that they 'took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the occupant of the White House.' The letter continued: 'That oath now compels us to speak out against the nomination of Todd Blanche for Attorney General – someone who took the same oath, but has utterly failed to abide by it.'
Degradation of Career Workforce
The letter focused on Blanche's 'degradation of DOJ's apolitical career workforce,' accusing him of 'demonizing career employees, undermining their work, and driving them out of the department.' Under the second Trump administration, the Justice Department has been gutted, with many career employees terminated, including those who worked on the criminal investigation into the president. The letter stated these terminations 'violate the very civil service statutes designed to prevent corruption and political purges,' adding that those who resigned did so to avoid 'illegal or unethical orders' or out of fear such orders would come.
The former staffers declared that 'the culture of fear Blanche has instilled within DOJ's workforce must end.' The letter concluded: 'Respect for career professionals must return. Would-be job applicants need to believe the Justice Department lives up to the virtue in its name. And instead of exhibiting fealty to the president, the Attorney General must heed John Adams' admonition that our republic remains a government of laws, not of men.'
