1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to vote NO on the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Mr. Blanche serves as Acting Attorney General after first serving as Donald Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer. His record disqualifies him for an office that must never serve as the President’s private lawyer, political shield, or tool of retaliation. PUBLIC DUTY MUST COME BEFORE PERSONAL LOYALTY That prior role required him to prove independence immediately upon taking office. Instead, his conduct suggests his first loyalty is to Trump rather than to the law. JUSTICE MUST NOT BECOME A POLITICAL WEAPON While leading the Department of Justice (DOJ), Mr. Blanche has pursued matters involving people and organizations viewed by Donald Trump as adversaries, including former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Public trust is destroyed when Americans believe federal law enforcement protects friends, targets enemies, or excuses defiance of lawful authority. THE ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND AND AUDIT IMMUNITY Mr. Blanche has been involved with the proposed $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, which would have paid federal money to people claiming to be targets of political persecution. That it advanced so far before bipartisan criticism forced its abandonment reflects poorly on his judgment. Mr. Blanche also signed a settlement addendum arising from Trump’s IRS lawsuit that reportedly bars the government from specified tax examinations involving Trump, his family, and affiliates. Ordinary taxpayers do not receive such protection. DOJ must not create a two-tier justice system in which the powerful obtain immunity unavailable to everyone else. THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES CAREFUL SCRUTINY The Senate’s advice-and-consent role exists to prevent nominees whose loyalty runs to one person rather than to the Constitution. Past actions matter more than hearing-room promises. Todd Blanche’s record - personal defense lawyer to Trump, promoter of a politically motivated fund, and signatory to a settlement granting Trump extraordinary tax immunity - disqualifies him as Attorney General. The Senate should: (1) VOTE NO. Reject the Blanche nomination because his record shows insufficient independence from Donald Trump’s personal, political, and financial interests. (2) REQUIRE ANSWERS. Demand sworn explanations about the Anti-Weaponization Fund, sensitive investigations, White House communications, and the IRS settlement barring specified tax examinations of Trump and affiliated entities. (3) DEFEND EQUAL JUSTICE. Refuse to accept hearing promises as a substitute for a record of impartial conduct. (4) PROTECT DOJ. Confirm only a nominee committed to prosecutorial independence, equal justice, obedience to court orders, and the principle that no person - including the President - stands above the law. Thank you.