US President Donald Trump has announced plans to nominate his former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, as attorney general on a permanent basis.

 

 

 

Blanche currently serves as acting head of the Justice Department after Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi following scrutiny over her handling of the release of investigative files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

 

 

 

The former deputy attorney general has since overseen the department and pursued indictments against individuals Trump considers political opponents, including former FBI director James Comey.

 

 

 

Speaking during a White House dinner, Trump told guests that he intended to formally nominate Blanche for the role.

 

 

 

“Tomorrow, I’m instructing… that we are going to make him permanent attorney general,” Trump said in remarks shared by White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.

 

 

 

Blanche has also led the Justice Department during efforts to establish a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund, a plan critics described as a “slush fund” for Trump’s political allies.

 

 

 

 

The proposed fund emerged from a settlement linked to a lawsuit Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with an additional provision preventing the agency from investigating him over back-tax claims.

 

 

 

Blanche told Congress that the compensation fund would no longer move forward, although protections related to Trump’s IRS arrangement would remain in place.