Newly Obtained Records Detail Todd Blanche’s Oversight of Justice Department “Weaponization” Efforts

Newly released records obtained by American Oversight shed light on how Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche oversaw the Justice Department’s so-called Weaponization Working Group, assigning senior DOJ officials to politically charged investigations tied to President Donald Trump’s retribution agenda and convening recurring meetings to monitor the group’s work. The records, first reported this week by The New York Times, were released on the eve of Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing later this week.

The documents include calendar entries detailing recurring Weaponization Working Group meetings convened at Blanche’s request and held in his conference room, staffing assignments placing senior officials from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General on investigations involving election administration, Jan. 6 prosecutions, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Richmond memorandum, anti-abortion prosecutions, and other elements of President Trump’s retribution agenda. Together, they provide one of the clearest public windows into how Blanche shepherded and directed these politically sensitive investigations.

“The American people deserve to know how Todd Blanche has used the extraordinary powers of the Justice Department to further the President’s ‘weaponization’ agenda. These records provide troubling insight,” said our Executive Director Chioma Chukwu. “Todd Blanche oversaw senior Justice Department officials pursuing politically charged investigations, convened recurring meetings of the so-called Weaponization Working Group, and committed departmental resources to advancing President Trump’s efforts targeting political opponents, election administration, and other high-profile vendettas. Senators should judge him not by his assurances at a confirmation hearing, but by the record he has already built — one that raises serious doubts about his ability to lead an independent Justice Department rather than use it to advance a dangerously partisan agenda.”

The records offer one of the clearest public windows yet into how Blanche exercised the authority of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, revealing how senior department officials were assigned to politically sensitive matters, how the Weaponization Working Group was managed, and how closely Blanche’s office tracked investigations involving many of President Trump’s highest-profile priorities. They underscore the broader public interest in understanding Blanche’s use of official power and the need for additional records disclosures, as senators consider whether to confirm him as the nation’s next attorney general.

In addition to the newly released records, we remain in active litigation against DOJ to secure public records about Blanche’s official work on two matters that have generated extraordinary public scrutiny: the Trump administration’s review and release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and DOJ’s attempt to bury a report produced by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. The records could help illuminate to what extent Blanche — who served as President Trump’s personal criminal defense attorney before becoming deputy attorney general and then acting attorney general — has abandoned independent judgment in matters directly implicating his former client and political patron.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Blanche served as President Trump’s lead defense attorney in multiple criminal cases, including the federal prosecutions brought by Special Counsel Smith and the New York criminal case that resulted in Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts.

As deputy attorney general, Blanche reportedly played a central role in the department’s review of records related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, including personally interviewing convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. His involvement has drawn scrutiny given that President Trump’s name reportedly appears thousands of times in the Epstein files and because questions have arisen about whether Blanche’s prior representation of Trump could affect his impartiality in matters involving the president.

Blanche has also faced questions about his role in matters connected to former Special Counsel Smith’s investigations. According to public reports, Blanche has boasted about helping “clean house” at the DOJ and FBI following Trump’s return to office, including the removal of personnel involved in Smith’s investigations. During his 2025 confirmation process for deputy attorney general, Blanche also testified that he would not support releasing the full second volume of Smith’s report concerning Trump’s handling of classified records. Shortly before Blanche’s confirmation, DOJ aligned itself with Trump’s motion to block public release of the report.

Our requests seek communications, emails, calendar invitations, text messages, and messages sent through encrypted or third-party platforms concerning Blanche’s involvement in the Epstein files review, including discussions involving redactions, President Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Maxwell’s transfer within the federal prison system. The requests also seek records concerning Blanche’s involvement in matters related to Special Counsel Smith’s investigations and reports, including communications regarding the classified documents investigation and decisions concerning the release of portions of Smith’s final report.

We have previously raised concerns about Blanche’s ability to independently oversee matters involving records related to President Trump. Earlier this year, we called on Blanche to step aside from any role reviewing or overseeing the release of presidential records from Trump’s first term under the Presidential Records Act, citing his prior role as Trump’s personal criminal defense attorney and his acknowledged continuing duty of loyalty to the president.

This is not the first time during President Trump’s second term that a nominee for attorney general has raised serious questions warranting public scrutiny. In November 2024, we sought records related to then-nominee Matt Gaetz amid allegations of sexual and other misconduct that had drawn significant public attention. Gaetz ultimately withdrew his nomination.