Senate Senator Rips AG Pick for Crypto Industry Ties and Pardon

US Senator Dick Durbin sharply criticized President Trump's former personal attorney and current acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche for his handling of crypto-related crimes during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Durbin, the ranking Democrat, accused Blanche of 'dismantling' the Justice Department's (DoJ) enforcement team and shutting down ongoing criminal investigations of the crypto industry in April 2025 as deputy attorney general.

According to Durbin, Blanche's actions enabled Trump to earn $1.4 billion from his ties to the industry, including his family's business World Liberty Financial. Durbin also accused former Binance CEO Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao of 'broker[ing] a deal to channel $2 billion' into World Liberty, which led to a presidential pardon.

Blanche was behind a 2025 memo that ended regulation by prosecution in the crypto industry and previously held at least $159,000 worth of digital asset-related investments before divesting them to his children and grandchildren.