1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent, a U.S. Army veteran, and someone who has sworn an oath to the Constitution, to urge you to vote against confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General. Mr. Blanche’s record as Deputy and Acting Attorney General does not meet the standard of independence the office demands. The New York City Bar Association’s July 13 letter to the Judiciary Committee identified five specific concerns I believe deserve your scrutiny: politically motivated prosecutions, violations of constitutional rights and court orders, misplaced loyalty to the President over the law, the erosion of DOJ’s institutional independence, and unresolved professional ethics questions stemming from his prior role as the President’s personal defense attorney. What concerns me most is what surfaced during his own confirmation process. His nomination stalled in Committee over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that could have funded settlements for Trump allies, including individuals convicted in the January 6 attack. He only agreed to rescind it after two Republican senators made it a condition of their support. That is not the record of someone exercising independent judgment as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer — it is the record of someone who required congressional leverage to avoid directing federal resources toward the President’s political allies, while he was already acting in the role. You have consistently been a voice for institutional accountability on the Intelligence and Judiciary-adjacent oversight work you’ve done in the Senate. This nomination sits squarely in that territory. The Attorney General answers to the law and to the American people, not to the President who appointed him. Mr. Blanche’s path from personal defense counsel to the top of the Department, combined with the conduct that surfaced in his own confirmation fight, is disqualifying. I ask you to vote no and to make the reasoning public, so that Virginians understand this is a defense of the Department’s independence, not a partisan position. Thank you for representing Virginia. I would welcome your response.