U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) speaks throughout a Senate Appropriations Committee listening to in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026.
Eric Lee | Reuters
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will vote in opposition to Todd Blanche’s nomination to be legal professional normal, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s decide for the nation’s high legislation enforcement job forward of a affirmation vote within the Senate.
“Whereas I imagine Mr. Blanche is a succesful lawyer, the Division of Justice has turn out to be more and more political,” Collins, who’s going through a tricky reelection struggle, mentioned in a press release. “Mr. Blanche has taken a number of actions which have additional eroded the Division’s independence, and that’s the foundation for my vote to oppose his affirmation.”
Collins listed a number of causes for her “no” vote, together with Blanche’s function in a controversial settlement between Trump and the Inside Income Service that resulted in an audit protect for the president and his household and the now-canceled “anti-weaponization fund.” Collins additionally famous Blanche “promised an anti-abortion group that he would search to ban the mailing of abortion medicine to girls nationwide.”
Blanche can solely afford to lose two GOP votes to be confirmed, given Republicans’ 53-47 majority and the prolonged medical absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Invoice Cassidy, R-La., have but to resolve on Blanche’s nomination — which means the pair may sink him in the event that they resolve to hitch Collins in opposition.
Blanche was authorised by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Tuesday by a vote of 12-10, sending his nomination to the Senate ground for a affirmation vote.
Performing Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche will get sworn in at his affirmation listening to in entrance of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Win Mcnamee | Getty Photos
The committee vote got here after Blanche, the present performing legal professional normal, struck a take care of Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who mentioned they’re glad that the controversial “anti-weaponization fund” is useless. The pair of senators deadlocked the committee by refusing to vote for Blanche till he confirmed this system’s finish in writing, regardless of verbal assurances.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Tuesday forward of the vote on Blanche, mentioned they’re involved the fund may nonetheless be revived. The entire committee’s Democrats opposed Blanche’s affirmation, whereas all of the Republicans voted in favor.
“This doc is a sham,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., mentioned, referring to information Blanche posted to social media that he mentioned mark the top of the fund. “It’s a sham and a fraud on the Congress.”
