Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will confront questions about his brief but turbulent tenure atop the Justice Department during a Senate confirmation hearing. Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, has run the department on an interim basis since April, accelerating investigations into Trump foes and alarming press freedom advocates with an aggressive pursuit of news media leaks.

Senate Hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing will test President Trump’s grip on Republican lawmakers whose support the nominee will need for the job. Blanche will need the support of each Republican on the panel, including Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Blanche has denied accusations that he has been weaponizing the department, but he has also insisted that he sees no problem with the president’s interest in Justice Department matters. The $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, created to compensate people who feel unjustly persecuted by the criminal justice system, will likely be a focus of the hearing.

Controversies

Blanche will also face questioning over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the aggressive enforcement of news media leaks. The Justice Department under Blanche’s watch has secured an indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey, a move that has been criticized by some as an example of the department being used to target the president’s political opponents.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.