1200 Former DOJ Officials Warn Senate Against Confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General
"Under Blanche's leadership, approximately 16,000 employees have left. Let me repeat that. 16,000 employees have left, and departures aren't slowing down. They include FBI agents and analysis and field offices across the country and more than a quarter of the department's attorneys."
About this episode
Ben Meiselas of the Midas Touch Network discusses an extraordinary letter sent by over 1,200 former Department of Justice officials to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin, urging them to reject the nomination of Todd Blanche as Attorney General. The officials, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, detail systematic destruction of the DOJ under Blanche's leadership, including the departure of approximately 16,000 employees—more than a quarter of the department's attorneys and numerous FBI agents. The letter documents illegal firings based on political grounds, including terminations of employees who worked on cases President Trump opposed, who declined to initiate vindictive prosecutions, or who refused to lie in court. Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman joins to provide insider perspective, emphasizing that the letter represents not just quantitative losses but the complete evisceration of DOJ culture and institutional integrity. Litman explains that the most experienced career prosecutors and counselors were disproportionately forced out or marginalized, creating a culture of fear among remaining employees. The letter catalogs abandoned enforcement areas including civil rights, environmental protection, public corruption, antitrust, and counterterrorism—with FBI and DEA agents diverted from investigating terrorism and drug trafficking to immigration enforcement and protest response. Both Meiselas and Litman stress that public safety is the ultimate victim, as the DOJ has lost its presumption of regularity in courts nationwide. The discussion previews Blanche's upcoming confirmation hearing on May 15th, where witnesses are expected to testify about vindictive prosecutions, mishandling of Epstein files, improper deals, and the systematic purge of career staff. The bipartisan coalition of former officials argues that confirming Blanche would ratify the principle that attorneys general can prosecute presidential enemies without legal basis, representing the most dangerous possible precedent for the rule of law.
Key takeaways
- Over 1,200 former DOJ officials from both parties sent letter to Senate urging rejection of Todd Blanche as Attorney General citing betrayal of oath.
- Approximately 16,000 DOJ employees have left under Blanche's leadership, including more than 25 percent of department attorneys and numerous FBI agents.
- Former officials document illegal firings of career employees for working on cases Trump disliked, refusing vindictive prosecutions, or declining to lie in court.
- DOJ under Blanche has abandoned or drastically scaled back civil rights, environmental, antitrust, public corruption, and counterterrorism enforcement.
- Harry Litman, former U.S. Attorney, characterizes the institutional destruction as worst conduct in DOJ history and complete evisceration of department culture.
- Senate confirmation hearing scheduled for May 15th expected to focus on vindictive prosecutions, Epstein files mishandling, and degradation of career workforce.
- Public safety consequences include reduced prosecution of violent crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and erosion of DOJ's credibility in federal courts nationwide.