A former federal official warned in a new piece for The Hill that nominating Todd Blanche could supercharge President Donald Trump’s abuses and fraud, and urged Congress to oppose the move because of Blanche’s role in supporting what he called "the most corrupt president in the nation’s history."

Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal attorney before Trump returned to the White House. He was first appointed deputy attorney general and later became acting attorney general after Pam Bondi’s departure. His time in the administration has drawn scrutiny over his involvement in the botched release of the Epstein files and his support for Trump’s "slush fund" lawsuit settlement, even as he has apparently won Trump’s confidence. Trump has now nominated him to lead the Department of Justice as the permanent attorney general, a position that would give him substantial authority over federal law enforcement at a time when the department’s independence has already become a central political issue.

William S. Becker, a climate action activist who served for more than a decade as the Department of Energy’s central regional director and also worked as a special assistant to the department’s assistant secretary of energy efficiency and renewable energy, published the opinion piece on Monday morning. In it, he said Blanche’s conduct in office has helped advance Trump-era corruption in ways that would make Richard Nixon’s misdeeds look like "child's play," and he called on Congress to reject the nomination.

"As deputy attorney general, Blanche proved that he will not only tolerate Trump’s lawlessness but also participate in it," Becker wrote. "He has openly violated Congress’s bipartisan law requiring the release of all Epstein files. He has collaborated with Trump’s scheme to reward Jan. 6 rioters with millions of dollars in compensation for their prosecution and convictions related to Trump’s effort to steal the 2020 election."

Becker added that Blanche has helped turn the Justice Department into what he described as Trump’s personal instrument of retaliation, citing what he called specious and malicious charges against the president’s perceived enemies. He said the Brennan Center for Justice reports that grand juries have refused to indict Trump’s targets at least 18 times. According to Becker, courts or prosecutors have also aborted 16 grand jury subpoenas, nearly half the cases against protesters and immigrants accused of assaulting law enforcement officers, 16 lawsuits seeking state voter data and thousands of misdemeanor charges against migrants, nine subpoenas aimed at forcing hospitals to hand over records on gender-affirming care, and at least 79 cases connected to ICE protests.

Becker also said Blanche, alongside Bondi, has been involved in a massive purge of personnel at the Justice Department, where roughly 5,000 employees have been fired or pushed out under their watch. He said that has left behind a "toxic and ethically challenged" environment, underscoring why the nomination is drawing scrutiny beyond the usual confirmation fight over Cabinet loyalty.

Blanche’s push for charges against former FBI Director James Comey has also drawn criticism. The charges accuse Comey of threatening Trump’s life by posting a social media image of seashells reading "86 47," which critics have described as an attempt to chill dissent and an example of "the authoritarian playbook."

"Those who most covet the job of attorney general may not be worthy to have it," Becker concluded. "The best candidates are willing to resign from the department in its defense. The best outcome would be for Blanche’s nomination to die in committee."