More than 1,200 former Department of Justice employees have signed a letter urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The letter, sent Tuesday ahead of Blanche's confirmation hearings scheduled for July 15 and 16, argues that his leadership has undermined the department's apolitical workforce and left communities less safe. However, the Trump administration and its allies have dismissed the effort as a hyperpartisan stunt reminiscent of past Democratic tactics.
The signatories include former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Trump impeachment witness Pamela Karlan, and multiple former Biden administration officials. A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the list is a «who's who of partisan activists,» pointing to individuals involved in what the spokesperson described as the «weaponization» of the department under the previous administration. A former White House official added that the letter appeared to have been circulated among a narrow group of like-minded critics.
Blanche, who previously served as Deputy Attorney General under former Attorney General Pam Bondi, was nominated by Trump to lead the Justice Department permanently. The administration has highlighted broad law enforcement support for his confirmation, including endorsements from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Major County Sheriffs of America. These organizations represent police leadership in dozens of major U.S. cities, tens of thousands of law enforcement leaders worldwide, and hundreds of the nation's largest sheriffs' offices.
The letter from former DOJ employees claims that Blanche has fired hundreds of department employees, some of whom were dismissed for «having worked on cases the President didn't like.» It warns that the consequences of these actions «radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice,» affecting public safety, civil rights, and national security. The signatories assert that they take seriously their «oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the occupant of the White House.»
Critics of the letter have drawn parallels to a 2020 incident in which 51 former intelligence officials, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, signed a letter claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop scandal bore «all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.» That letter was widely circulated by mainstream news outlets and helped downplay the scandal, which later proved to be based on authentic emails and files. Clapper later defended the letter, saying it was a «cautionary note» appropriate at the time.
The current effort to block Blanche's nomination is seen by some as a repeat of that playbook. A DOJ spokesperson noted that the letter's signatories include «disgruntled Biden administration officials, some of whom were directly involved in the weaponization of the Department.» The spokesperson added that Blanche has the support of law enforcement across the country, contrasting the letter's claims with the endorsements from major police organizations.
Blanche's confirmation hearings are set to begin next week, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will weigh the arguments from both sides. The outcome will determine whether Blanche becomes the permanent head of the Justice Department, a role that has been under scrutiny amid ongoing debates about the department's independence and political influence.