(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s optimistic acting U-S Attorney General Todd Blanche will be confirmed this week, despite questions from fellow Republicans about Blanche’s actions on behalf of President Trump. Grassley will chair the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Thursday where members will vote on whether to Blanche should be the nation’s attorney general.
In exchange for dropping his 10-billion dollar lawsuit against the I-R-S, President Trump announced a plan in May to create a one-point-776 billion dollar fund to compensate those he says were wrongly targeted by the Biden administration. Blanche, who was Trump’s criminal defense attorney at the time, put an addendum on the settlement banning the government from auditing tax returns filed by Trump, his family members or their companies. Grassley notes, that move has raised some concerns about Blanche from others who sit on the Judiciary Committee.
Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both Republicans, say they want to further question Blanche about his actions before Thursday’s confirmation vote.
The League of Women Voters is among groups opposing Blanche’s nomination, saying his “record raises serious concerns regarding accountable government, protection of constitutional rights, voting rights, and the independence of the Department of Justice.”
