Blanche's Confirmation Hangs on Two Votes After a Judge Suspects Acting AG Involved in Fraud Scheme

Thirty-five former federal judges called the DOJ’s IRS maneuver an "unprecedentedly fraudulent scheme." Blanche says the fund is dead — nothing in writing says so.

Todd Blanche faced the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning seeking permanent control of the Justice Department, one day after a federal judge opened an inquiry into whether that department defrauded her court.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse carried Monday's decision into the hearing room. Judge Kathleen Williams criticized Trump, his lawyers and the Justice Department for their handling of the president's civil suit against the IRS and opened an inquiry into whether the DOJ committed "fraud on the court." Thirty-five former federal judges signed a filing calling what happened an "unprecedentedly fraudulent scheme" — "corruption of the judicial process is exactly what happened here." Whitehouse demanded Blanche turn over every communication between the department and the president in the case.