Newly released emails expose Todd Blanche's role directing DOJ retribution probes as his attorney general confirmation hearings begin
Emails obtained by watchdog American Oversight show Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche personally assigned deputies to investigate Donald Trump's political adversaries. The documents surface as Blanche faces Senate confirmation hearings on Wednesday.
Internal Justice Department emails released on the eve of Todd Blanche's confirmation hearings show the acting attorney general was a driving force behind the so-called retribution campaign targeting Donald Trump's political enemies. The 352 pages of documents, obtained by watchdog group American Oversight and first reported by The New York Times, detail how Blanche assigned senior officials to oversee politically loaded investigations into former special counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the prosecution of January 6 rioters and the 2020 presidential election.
Blanche's grip on the weaponization group
Blanche, a methodical former federal prosecutor who once led Trump's criminal defense, established a tight organizational plan for the "Weaponization Working Group" formed to probe alleged Biden-era targeting. He scheduled weekly check-in meetings in his office and assigned investigative lanes to his own deputies, including Emil Bove, another ex-Trump defense attorney. The documents show Blanche moving quickly to rein in Ed Martin, a right-wing activist and Jan. 6 supporter appointed to lead the group, after Martin spoke to the press.
I am frustrated.
In a detailed May 2025 email, Blanche reprimanded Martin for using the wrong title and speaking with reporters.
This is becoming a real problem, Ed. We need to talk about what is going on here?
Martin's senior advisor Neil McCabe responded, "I acknowledge your concerns and rules of the road." Christopher-James DeLorenz was tasked with investigating Jack Smith, according to the documents.
A web of conflicts
Blanche's record since joining the Justice Department, first as deputy attorney general and then as acting head after Pam Bondi was fired in April 2026, has drawn sharp criticism. The Guardian reports that Blanche signed off on an IRS settlement banning litigation against Trump, his family or his businesses, a deal a federal judge later called self-dealing and referred to the Florida Bar Association. The New York Bar has stated that Blanche is unfit for office. According to Bondi, Blanche oversaw redactions of Epstein material that inadvertently revealed victims' names while shielding details about Trump and other powerful men. He also shut down the department unit investigating crypto market fraud, a domain where Trump has launched his own cryptocurrency ventures.
The hearing begins
Blanche's two-day confirmation hearing starts on 15 July 2026 and will test Senate commitment to the rule of law, as the nominee's vast slate of conflicts and his central role in the retribution campaign come under scrutiny. The documents already prompted accusations of political weaponization of the Justice Department, with critics calling Blanche's cooperation in Trump's vendetta his defining characteristic.
- Leaves law firm Cadwalader to represent Donald Trump in three criminal prosecutions.
- As deputy attorney general, emails show him assigning retribution investigations and rebuking Ed Martin.
- Becomes acting attorney general after Pam Bondi is fired.
- Senate confirmation hearings begin.
The hearing follows months in which Blanche, as acting attorney general, has pursued vindictive prosecutions ranging from the case of Kilmar Ábrego Garcia to the investigation of former CIA director John Brennan, according to The Guardian. His confirmation would place a Trump loyalist with deep personal investment in the president's legal battles at the helm of federal law enforcement.
