Durbin Slams AG Pick Blanche Over Crypto Unit Disbanding, Trump Pardon Ties

US Senator Dick Durbin criticized Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General, over his handling of cryptocurrency-related crimes and other actions at the Justice Department. Durbin accused Blanche of 'dismantling' the DoJ's enforcement team and shutting down ongoing investigations into the crypto industry.

Blanche was behind the disbanding of the Justice Department's crypto enforcement unit in April 2025 as deputy attorney general, according to Durbin. The senator claimed that this move enabled Trump to earn $1.4 billion from his ties to the industry, including his family's business World Liberty Financial.

Blanche's nomination has faced pushback over the DoJ's actions on immigration and its crypto policies, as well as claims that he would facilitate Trump's attacks on perceived enemies and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Durbin also accused former Binance CEO Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao of 'brokering a deal to channel $2 billion' into World Liberty, which led to a presidential pardon.

The hearing was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Blanche faced questions from Republican Senator Thom Tillis about the pardon process. Blanche stated that he would review the pardon process if confirmed. The DoJ still has ongoing cases against developers behind platforms allegedly used for illegal activities.