Durbin Questions Todd Blanche, Trump's Nominee To Be Deputy Attorney General, During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Todd Blanche, nominated by President Donald Trump to be Deputy Attorney General (DAG), during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. Mr. Blanche represented President Trump in multiple criminal cases, including the hush money prosecution brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for which Trump was convicted on 34 counts. Mr. Blanche also represented President Trump in the criminal investigations and prosecutions pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith regarding Trump’s mishandling of classified documents in Florida and his role in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Durbin’s questions focused on reports that Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered Acting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Brian Driscoll to compile a list of all current and former FBI employees who were assigned “at any time” to a January 6 investigation “to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”
Durbin began by asking Mr. Blanche about the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“As a former prosecutor, when you saw those scenes, did it cross your mind that it should be investigated?” Durbin asked.
Mr. Blanche responded, “absolutely.”
Durbin then asked Mr. Blanche, “If you are going to have a federal prosecution of the people who assaulted the Capitol, it would be understandable that you would turn to FBI agents to conduct the investigation. True?”
Mr. Blanche responded, “Well, yes.”
“Of course, during the course of conducting the largest criminal investigation in the history of the Department of Justice, it is no surprise that some 5,000 FBI agents were called on and assigned duties to investigate those crimes,” Durbin said.
Durbin continued, “Do you understand what is going on now? They are asking for the names of all of the FBI agents who were engaged in that investigation to be disclosed… I am just wondering, in this situation, how you can justify disclosing the identities of these individuals, many of whom were given an assignment. Didn’t you tell me that when you were a U.S. Attorney you didn’t have the luxury of picking the cases you worked on? You were told, at least at the beginning, that this is what you’ll do.”
Mr. Blanche responded, “That is true.”
Durbin went on to detail the crimes that January 6th insurrectionists, recklessly pardoned by President Trump, committed during the storming of the U.S. Capitol, including the violent assaults on law enforcement officers. Guy Reffitt was the first defendant to stand trial on charges related to the January 6 insurrection. He was sentenced to 87 months in prison for bringing a firearm to the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Reffitt’s 19-year-old son, Jackson, turned him into law enforcement after the attack. Jackson also indicated that Reffitt had threatened to shoot him and his sister, Peyton, if they reported him to authorities.
Just weeks after his pardon, Reffitt returned to the Capitol to support Kash Patel, who has been nominated to serve as FBI Director despite a troubling record of peddling conspiracy theories about January 6 and whistleblower reports that he is personally involved in the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. Reffitt posted on social media: “Present and in support of @KashPatel as the leftist commies continue to spew lies, misinformation and disinformation. My man Klean House Kash…!!!”
“Can you understand why the FBI agents would be reluctant to disclose not only their names but perhaps the locations of their families in an effort to justify keeping their jobs if this kind of person is on the loose?” Durbin said. “Let me lay it on the table. Are you prepared to say that if your nomination is approved by the United States Senate, you would stop any effort to disclose this information that might jeopardize the safety of FBI agents?”
Mr. Blanche responded, “I cannot sit here and commit to anything beyond that statement that we will never do anything to put the lives of the family or the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in danger.”
Durbin concluded, “There were 5,000 agents involved in this investigation, and they are now being asked to disclose if they were involved in it. I don’t think there is any precedent at the FBI of that kind of effort. And the impact it’s going to have on morale and the operation of that agency will not benefit the safety of Americans.”
Video of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.
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