Trump Corruption Inc., Part 7: Corrupt Justice Imposed by Trump and Acting AG Blanche

See Trump Corruption Inc., Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here and Part 6 here.

Trump’s corrupt profiteering off the presidency achieved massive levels last year, with more than $2.2 billion in reported income. Much of this income came from cryptocurrency ventures that benefited from his policies.

But Trump’s corruption is not limited to personal enrichment. It runs through the government, including the Justice Department where Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has helped turn federal law enforcement into a weapon against Trump’s perceived enemies and a shield for him.

Blanche is currently before the Senate for confirmation to be attorney general. Here are four reasons why senators should vote no.

1. Blanche’s refusal to make full disclosure of the Epstein files in violation of the law

In a lawsuit brought by Katie Phang seeking greater disclosure of the Epstein files, as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Judge Emmet Sullivan found that “The Attorney General has conceded that he is in violation of the Act.”

Judge Sullivan set a deadline for the release of the information sought in the lawsuit, but DOJ has refused to release the information.

According to USA TODAY, Blanche in a new filing said that “releasing more materials would harm Epstein’s victims and the government.” This explanation cannot be taken seriously when victims have demanded transparency and DOJ has refused to meet with them.

2. Blanche’s sweetheart deal with Trump

Blanche made crystal clear that the slush fund he agreed with Trump to create at DOJ was primarily for the benefit of January 6 convicted criminals, when he refused to say that money would be prevented from going to convicted criminals who had beaten up police officials.

But the most self-serving part of the Blanche-Trump sweetheart deal was Blanche’s agreement that Trump, his sons and his business organization will have immunity from any past tax liability they owed to the government. This could save Trump as much as $100 million. The immunity given to Trump is even broader covering undefined non-tax conduct.

Blanche subsequently said the slush fund was dead, but when he refused a judge’s request to put this in writing under penalty of perjury, the judge said the lawsuit challenging the fund’s creation would proceed.

3. Blanche’s “sweetheart deal” with Ghislaine Maxwell

Then-Deputy Attorney General Blanche conducted a highly unusual interview with convicted criminal Ghislaine Maxwell about the Epstein files.

Blanche spent nine hours over two days at Maxwell’s jail, ostensibly for the purpose of getting a statement –- which he did get –- from a completely noncredible witness that Trump “had never done anything in her presence that would have caused concern.”

One week later, Maxwell was suddenly moved to minimum security prison camp, also known as Club Fed.

Blanche made the unbelievable assertion that it was “an impossible question to answer” as to whether Maxwell is a “credible” witness in denying that she had any involvement in the crimes of Epstein.That answer ignores the overwhelming record against Maxwell. A jury found her guilty of procuring, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse. Judge Alison Nathan sentenced her to 20 years in prison after finding that Maxwell had participated in a years-long scheme to traffic underage girls for abuse by and with Epstein. The judge found that Maxwell’s actions were “heinous and predatory,” and that “the damage done to these young girls was incalculable.”

Victims testified that Maxwell facilitated, and sometimes participated in, the sexual abuses. The government itself previously cited Maxwell’s “willingness to lie brazenly under oath about her conduct,” and the Second Circuit upheld her convictions.

4. Blanche carried out Trump’s revenge, retribution and retaliation campaign

Blanche is abusing his authority by implementing Trump’s unprecedented vengeance campaign. Blanche is using his Justice Department authority to go after Trump’s perceived enemies and political opponents.

According to The New York Times, “Even before Ms. Bondi’s abrupt removal, Mr. Blanche had been working with her on a spree of investigative actions intended to demonstrate progress to an impatient White House …”

A few weeks after Ms. Bondi was dismissed, Mr. Blanche approved an absurd indictment of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, for posting a photo of seashells arranged to read “86-47.” This followed two indictments of Comey that had been thrown out of court.

When Blanche was Deputy Attorney General he bragged that every convicted criminal related to the January 6 mob insurrection was pardoned or had their sentences commuted. Blanche also bragged about getting rid of the DOJ attorneys who had been involved in prosecuting Trump.

This week, more than 1,200 former DOJ career employees and appointees from both Republican and Democratic administrations opposed Blanche’s nomination. They wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee:

“The consequences of Blanche’s attacks on DOJ’s apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country … leaving communities less safe, Americans’ rights less protected, and our national security more vulnerable.”

The Attorney General is tasked with representing the United States, not Donald Trump. It would be a travesty of justice to confirm Todd Blanche.

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Fred’s Weekly Note appears on Thursdays in Wertheimer’s Political Report, a Democracy 21 newsletter. Read this week’s newsletter, and other recent editions, here. And subscribe for free here and receive your copy each week via email.