1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent, a U.S. Army veteran, and someone who has taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution, to urge you in the strongest terms to vote against the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States. Mr. Blanche’s record as Deputy Attorney General and, since April 2026, as Acting Attorney General, does not reflect the independence the office requires. The New York City Bar Association’s July 13 letter to the Judiciary Committee laid out five specific grounds for rejection that I believe merit your close attention: politically motivated prosecutions, violations of constitutional rights and court orders, misplaced institutional loyalty to the President rather than the law, the weakening of the Department’s independence, and unresolved questions of professional ethics arising from his prior role as the President’s personal defense attorney. I am also concerned by what the confirmation process itself has revealed. Mr. Blanche’s nomination was held up in Committee over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that could have been used to provide settlements to Trump allies, including individuals convicted in connection with January 6. That he rescinded the fund only under pressure from two Republican holdouts, and only after it became a precondition for their votes, is not evidence of independent judgment. It is evidence that his conduct as Acting Attorney General has already required correction by Congress before a permanent appointment could even be considered. An Attorney General should not need this kind of intervention to avoid using DOJ resources on behalf of the President’s political allies. The Attorney General serves the United States and the rule of law, not the President personally. Mr. Blanche’s history as the President’s defense counsel, followed immediately by his elevation to the Department’s leadership, is precisely the kind of arrangement the post-Watergate norms around DOJ independence were built to prevent. I ask you to vote no, and to state publicly and specifically why his record disqualifies him — not as a partisan objection, but as a defense of the Department’s independence from any president, of either party. Thank you for your service to Virginia. I would welcome a response outlining your position and your reasoning.