GOP Senator Says He’s Worried About ‘Lawfare’ Under Todd Blanche, Who Can Only Afford to Lose One More Vote

Compilation via AP

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said on Wednesday he was still undecided on voting to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, raising concerns that Blanche would act as Trump’s personal lawyer and not serve the greater interests of the country.

Cassidy joined SiriusXM’s The Briefing with Steve Scully and warned that Trump’s DOJ has appeared to engage in “lawfare” under Blanche, the current acting attorney general and former personal lawyer to Trump. Cassidy said he’s worried Americans are being charged “not for a valid reason, but because somebody in high office is angry at them.”

“So, I’ve not made a decision regarding Mr. Blanche. I’ve got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump’s personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump’s personal attorney who is now the attorney general. I think there’s a big difference between the two,” Cassidy said, adding:

I am very concerned about so-called lawfare—people being prosecuted not for a valid reason beyond somebody in high office being angry at them. And so, I’m very concerned about that, and so that will factor into my decision-making.

Scully followed up, “So, bottom line, between now and whenever the vote is, what will it take to ease the concern you have, one way or the other?”

“Well, I’ll continue to look at that and speak to the parties involved. Obviously, you’ve got to make a decision, but you just kind of drill down. We spoke earlier, maybe offline, about deadlines driving decisions. There’ll be a deadline, and I’ll make the decision by the deadline,” Cassidy replied.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) announced on Tuesday she would not vote for Blanche, which means he could only afford to lose one more vote with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) absent. Cassidy and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are both considered swing votes on his confirmation, and he will need at least one to get confirmed outright.

Trump endorsed Cassidy’s primary opponent this cycle, who went on to win and effectively ended Cassidy’s political career.

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