1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

As your constituent, I am writing to demand that you vote NO on the full Senate confirmation of Todd Blanche for Attorney General, expected to occur before the Senate leaves for August recess. Blanche can afford to lose only one more Republican vote. Senator Susan Collins has already publicly announced her opposition, citing actions by Mr. Blanche that have "further eroded the Department's independence." Her vote proves that principled opposition to this nomination is growing across party lines. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy remain undecided, but either one of them—or any Republican willing to put the rule of law first—can end this nomination today. Accepting an unenforceable, last-minute order to advance this nomination is a dangerous mistake. It treats Mr. Blanche like a nominee who deserves the benefit of the doubt, despite a record that proves otherwise. Before this vote, he engineered a corrupt $10 billion lawsuit settlement against his own government—granting a $1.8 billion slush fund and tax protections to the very client he legally represents. Forcing him to sign a non-binding order to clear a vote count changes none of that. His record stands, and this order is nothing more than damage control. In this case, the legal reality is even worse: - An Unenforceable Order for the Slush Fund: Legal experts have warned that Blanche's one-page administrative order rescinding the $1.8 billion slush fund is not a binding, signed contract with the actual plaintiffs—Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization. A simple Justice Department memo after confirmation could quietly revive the fund under a new name, and nothing in what Blanche signed prevents that. - Unprecedented Tax Immunity Remains Untouched: The Sunday announcement did nothing to cancel the extraordinary tax audit shield granted to the President, his family, and his business entities. Issuing an unsigned statement claiming the shield only applies "retroactively" does not strip away their unauthorized immunity from past tax liability, leaving the heart of the settlement fully intact. - An Irreconcilable Conflict of Interest: A one-page memo cannot wipe away Mr. Blanche's record. When he inadvertently testified under oath, "I'm his lawyer," he demonstrated that he still views himself as the President's personal defender. True institutional independence is impossible for a nominee who cannot mentally separate his client's personal interests from the rule of law. - Partisan Weaponization of the Justice Department: From authorizing federal subpoenas against investigative journalists to defending "very generous" pardons for people convicted of assaulting police officers, Mr. Blanche has repeatedly shown he views the Department of Justice as a political tool, not an independent institution of equal justice. Confirming a nominee with such an active conflict of interest directly undermines your constitutional duty of Advice and Consent. Even his allies are settling for the bare minimum: Senator Thom Tillis pointed to Blanche merely agreeing to meet with victims as a defense of his vote. That isn't proof of fitness for Attorney General—it is an accidental admission of how low the bar has been lowered. Your constitutional duty is not a negotiation to be closed with an unenforceable memo. Placing trust in a fragile promise from a nominee whose loyalty lies with the White House risks permanently damaging the Department of Justice. Please uphold your oath to protect the rule of law. Vote NO on Todd Blanche.