Senate Advances Presidential Loyalty as New Standard of Justice
Senators advanced Todd Blanche’s nomination Tuesday after the Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 to establish a durable constitutional principle: A president’s former personal lawyer is uniquely qualified to determine which laws remain convenient for his former client. Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis backed Blanche after the Justice Department rescinded a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for Trump allies who regarded prosecution as an unconstitutional form of being prosecuted. The order proved beyond dispute that the fund does not exist, closing the matter permanently unless officials restore it under a less searchable name.
President Donald Trump praised Blanche’s independence, describing it as the rare judicial quality of reaching the president’s preferred conclusion without requiring a direct instruction. “Todd is extremely independent, probably the most independent lawyer in history, because he independently agrees with me before I explain what the law should say,” Trump said. “That saves enormous time, and many respected scholars have told me saving time is the highest form of justice.” The arrangement also clarified that proposed protections from tax audits for Trump, his family and the Trump Organization would apply only retroactively, preserving the cherished American guarantee that no citizen is above future scrutiny until the correct exemption forms are filed.
Cornyn called Blanche a “stabilizing force,” citing the stability produced when Republicans threaten to derail a nominee unless his department reverses a policy he authorized. The full Senate could vote before its August recess, allowing Blanche to begin restoring confidence in an impartial Justice Department through the efficient elimination of distance between federal law enforcement and the president’s personal legal interests. Under the new standard, prosecutorial independence will remain fully protected so long as it independently arrives at Donald Trump’s position.
* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.