Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says he's open to serving in job permanently
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed willingness to serve permanently if President Trump requests, following Pam Bondi's recent removal from the position, though he claims not to know the reasons behind her ouster.
- Blanche emphasized that all investigations, including those involving Trump's political opponents, will be pursued fully and denied feeling pressured to secure indictments against any individuals.
- Trump advisers are reportedly considering further Justice Department leadership changes, such as demoting Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and promoting Harmeet Dhillon, but no decisions have been made yet.
- The newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division will consolidate various fraud-related offices and accept criminal referrals from the White House, though its assistant attorney general will report to Justice Department leadership, maintaining some separation from direct White House control.
- Blanche highlighted that communication between the president and the Justice Department on priorities is normal, and announced a new national fraud detection center to identify significant fraud against federal programs using data analysts from multiple agencies.
