The Senate Judiciary Committee has endorsed the nomination of Trump's former lawyer for Attorney General.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Todd Blanche, former legal counsel to President Donald Trump, to serve as the permanent head of the Department of Justice. The vote occurred today with 12 Republican votes in favor and 10 Democratic votes against. The confirmation process will proceed to the full Senate later this week, according to American media reports. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general since April, following the resignation of his predecessor, Pam Bondi, who was dismissed by President Trump. Prior to joining the administration, Blanche served as one of Trump’s attorneys. His nomination had already come under scrutiny earlier in the week after two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, requested a written withdrawal of nearly $1.8 billion in funds allocated for a fund compensating victims of alleged political bias in the justice system during the previous Biden administration. President Trump had previously sued the Internal Revenue Service over several hundred million dollars in potential tax refunds based on the disclosure of his tax returns. His Department of Justice had reached an agreement establishing the fund and granting immunity to Trump and members of his family from investigations into possible tax fraud until the settlement was finalized. On Sunday, Blanche formally rescinded the order to establish the fund, securing support from both senators. However, the agreement remains in place, shielding Trump, his eldest son, and the Trump Organization from audits. According to U.S. media estimates, any audit of Trump could cost over $100 million. Democratic senators argue that due to the alleged protection of Trump's personal interests, Blanche is unsuitable to lead the Department of Justice. During a hearing, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse raised concerns about an open proceeding at the federal court in Florida, where allegations have surfaced that Blanche may have misled the court during the resolution process. He noted that this represents one of the most serious potential charges against a legal representative or judicial officer. A group of 35 former federal judges had previously requested the reopening of the case involving Trump and the IRS, and Blanche was accused of misleading the court. Tillis, who announced his support for Blanche after the fund’s cancellation, sharply criticized the alleged politically motivated use of the judicial system both during the previous Democratic administrations and currently under Trump’s leadership.