Todd Blanche faced a barrage of tough questions during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, but two exchanges quickly stole the spotlight: his refusal to rule out deploying ICE agents to polling places during future elections and his admission that the Justice Department mishandled the release of Jeffrey Epstein investigation files.
Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal defense attorney and current acting attorney general, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as he seeks confirmation to permanently lead the Justice Department.
One of the hearing’s most contentious moments came when Sen. Amy Klobuchar asked whether the Trump administration would commit to keeping federal immigration agents away from polling sites during upcoming elections.
Civil rights organizations and election law experts have warned that deploying ICE officers near voting locations could intimidate eligible voters and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Blanche repeatedly declined to give a direct answer.
Instead, he responded that he would “follow the law.”
When Klobuchar pressed him again, asking whether voters should expect to see ICE agents at polling places, Blanche again avoided ruling it out.
“I will absolutely follow the law no matter what it includes,” he said.
Pressed a third time, Blanche added, “I’m not aware of that concern, but I’m telling you we will follow the law.”
His refusal to provide a clear yes-or-no answer immediately drew attention during the hearing.
Blanche also acknowledged that the Justice Department made mistakes while releasing millions of pages of records related to Jeffrey Epstein.
He testified that the document redactions had to be corrected after victims’ names were mistakenly disclosed, while the names of the perpetrators remained concealed.
“That doesn’t excuse the mistakes, of which I take responsibility,” Blanche told the committee, adding that the department had dozens of attorneys standing by to identify and correct improperly released information as quickly as possible.
The disclosure came after the DOJ faced criticism for accidentally revealing identifying information belonging to Epstein survivors during the release of the files.
Democrats also questioned Blanche about Trump’s sweeping pardons for people convicted in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Asked directly by Sen. Dick Durbin whether he believed the blanket pardons were the right decision, Blanche declined to offer his personal opinion.
Instead, he said only that presidents have broad constitutional authority to issue pardons.
The hearing opened with Durbin accusing Blanche of helping oversee controversial Justice Department actions during Trump’s second administration, including decisions that Democrats argue have blurred the line between independent law enforcement and political loyalty.
Blanche has also faced scrutiny over his role in carrying out administration policies involving investigations of Trump’s political opponents and other politically sensitive matters.
His confirmation fight is expected to remain closely watched as senators continue weighing questions about the Justice Department’s independence, election administration, and the handling of high-profile investigations under Trump’s leadership.
