Todd Blanche confirmed as US attorney general
Donald Trump's former lawyer Todd Blanche has been confirmed by the Senate as the new attorney general.
Blanche has held the position of acting attorney general since President Trump fired his representative Pam Bondi, and will now take over the role completely.
The decision was made by the narrowest possible margin, 50 votes to 49. Two members of the Republican majority in the House voted against approving Blanche.
Critics warn that Blanche, with her close ties to Trump, will make the Justice Department a tool for the president's interests.
“If there’s ever a time we need an unimpeachable attorney general who focuses on fighting corruption, even at the highest levels of government, it’s now,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said before the vote.
During his time as acting attorney general, Blanche has drawn criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans after a $1.8 billion fund was set up to compensate Trump supporters who believe they have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted.
During his time in office, a deal was also put forward to give Trump and his family immunity from tax audits.
After promising to scrap the fund and limit the tax deal, Blanche finally won over Republican Senator Bill Cassidy – who was the deciding factor in the vote – to her side.
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