Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination Draws Scrutiny Over Epstein File Handling

President Donald Trump has nominated former personal lawyer Todd Blanche to be attorney general of the United States. Blanche, who served as acting attorney general earlier this year, is described by former White House insider Bill Kristol as the "prime orchestrator and key executor" of the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Former attorney general Pam Bondi testified to the House Oversight Committee that Blanche supervised the entire process of overseeing the Epstein records, including his visit to Epstein co‑conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

Blanche’s upcoming Senate confirmation hearing is expected to focus on his role in the alleged Epstein cover‑up, with Kristol warning that the vote could become a referendum on the administration’s handling of the case. The nomination also brings renewed attention to Blanche’s involvement in other high‑profile matters, such as the Justice Department’s handling of investigations involving former FBI Director James Comey and other politically sensitive prosecutions. Senators are poised to question him on both the Epstein files and his broader conduct while acting as the department’s top law‑enforcement official.