Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Todd Blanche
American lawyer and prosecutor (born 1974) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Todd Wallace Blanche (/blæntʃ/;[2] born August 6, 1974) is an American lawyer and former prosecutor who has served as the fortieth United States Deputy Attorney General since 2025. Blanche represented U.S. president Donald Trump during his 2024 criminal trial in New York City. Blanche worked at New York City's oldest law firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he served as a partner represented clients such as Rudy Giuliani associate Igor Fruman and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
In November 2024, president-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Blanche as deputy attorney general. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 5, 2025, by a vote of 52–46. On May 12, 2025, Trump attempted to appoint Blanche to be acting librarian of Congress, a position in the legislative branch.[3]
Remove ads
Early life and education
Todd Wallace Blanche[4] was born in Denver, Colorado on August 6, 1974,[5] and grew up in a suburb near the city.[6] He went to a military boarding school in New Mexico and attended Beloit College.[7] He then transferred to the American University School of Public Affairs,[7] where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and interdisciplinary studies.[8] In 1999, Blanche worked as a paralegal for the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and attended night classes at Brooklyn Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor degree.[9]
Remove ads
Career
Summarize
Perspective
U.S. Attorney
After law school, Blanche was a prosecutor in New York's Southern District and co-chief of its violent crimes unit and the White Plains division.[8] He worked on cases related to bank and wire fraud, public corruption, and racketeering.[8]
Private law
Blanche was later employed by the law firm WilmerHale,[8] where he represented clients including Igor Fruman and Paul Manafort during the latter's 2016 fraud trial.[8][10][11]
From September 2017 to April 2023, Blanche was a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.[12]
Blanche left the Cadwalader firm in 2023[8] and founded Blanche Law to represent former U.S. president Donald Trump[10][8] during his 2024 criminal trial in New York City.[8] Following Trump's May 30, 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Blanche stated that Trump's defense team planned to appeal the verdict.[13]
In the Trump White House
United States deputy attorney general
.jpg)
On November 14, 2024, President-elect Trump announced that he intended to nominate Blanche for United States deputy attorney general.[14] He was confirmed to the post by the U.S. Senate on March 5, 2025 in a 52–46 vote.[15]
Blanche was sworn in as the fortieth United States Deputy Attorney General on March 6, 2025.[16]
On May 9, 2025, as revealed in bodycam footage taken and released in spite of an HSI officer's explicit order to turn off bodycams, Blanche ordered the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.[17]
Interrogation of Ghislaine Maxwell
In July 2025 Blanche held a second in-person meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[18] In an analysis for CNN, Aaron Blake stated that President Trump has "demonstrated past personal ties to Epstein," and that "critics have cried foul that the DOJ official interviewing Maxwell was Blanche, rather than a non-political prosecutor who has been involved in the case who would have much more expertise. [19]
Acting Librarian of Congress
On May 12, 2025, President Donald Trump announced that Todd Blanche would be the new acting librarian of Congress.[20][21]
The appointment followed Trump's abrupt firing of Carla Hayden, nearly two years before the end of her ten-year term.[22] The White House cited her focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as justification for her removal. Critics noted that the rationale included misleading claims, such as accusations that Hayden was "putting inappropriate books in the library for children."[23]
Hayden's former deputy, Robert Newlen, assumed the role of acting librarian by default after her termination, and he publicly contested the legitimacy of Blanche's appointment. In an internal email to staff, Newlen stated, "Congress is engaged with the White House and we have not received direction from Congress about how to move forward."[24]
That same day, Department of Justice officials reportedly attempted to assume control of the library's operations and were rebuffed by library staff. United States Capitol Police were contacted but ultimately dismissed after the situation de-escalated without incident.[21]
In response, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that "congressional equities must be respected" in determining library leadership, emphasizing the library's status as a legislative branch institution. Meanwhile, Democrats called for legislation to strip the president of appointment power over the librarian of Congress. Rep. Joe Morelle, the ranking member of the committee overseeing the library, requested an inspector general investigation into whether any executive branch personnel attempted unauthorized access to legislative files.[24]
Remove ads
Personal life
Blanche is married. His wife, Kristine, is an integrative medicine physician assistant who holds a PhD from University of Science, Arts and Technology and who served as chief of staff for his law firm.[9][25][better source needed][26] The couple has two children.[6] Blanche has completed two Ironman triathlons.[9]
In 2023, Blanche was a registered Democrat in New York. In 2024, Blanche purchased a home in Palm Beach County, Florida and registered as a Republican.[9]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads