Cassidy emerged as the likely deciding vote after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would oppose Blanche for the top U.S. law enforcement job, leaving the nomination on the brink, The Korea Times reported.
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Cassidy’s support for Blanche capped one of the most contentious cabinet fights of Trump’s second term after concerns spanning both parties over Blanche’s independence nearly derailed the nomination.
The vote was the culmination of weeks of negotiations between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April and previously ran day-to-day Justice Department operations as its second-ranking official.
Justice department under scrutiny
Under Blanche’s leadership, the department has opened investigations into Trump’s critics, prompted an exodus of career prosecutors and declared it serves at the direction of the president, breaking with what critics said were longstanding norms of independence.
Cassidy, who represents Louisiana, criticized Blanche’s role in settling Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service by granting tax immunity to Trump and his family businesses and creating a now-abandoned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies, but said he ultimately trusted Blanche to give the president candid legal advice.
Murkowski had cited her lack of confidence in Blanche to “check the worst impulses of this administration”.
