特朗普提名的司法部长人选布兰奇将面临参议院确认听证会严厉质询Trump Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche Faces Grilling at Senate Confirmation Hearing

在周三举行的参议院确认听证会上，民主党人计划对托德·布兰奇展开严厉质询。他们将重点针对布兰奇作为唐纳德·特朗普前私人律师的执业记录，以及他自今年4月初担任代理司法部长以来的多项争议行为进行追问。这些指责包括指控他滥用司法部权力来起诉特朗普的政治对手、扣押数百万页杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的相关文件，以及试图免除特朗普任何未缴税款等行为。

During Wednesday's confirmation hearing, Democrats plan to aggressively question Todd Blanche on his record as Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and his actions since becoming acting attorney general in early April. They intend to focus on allegations that he abused the Department of Justice's power to target political opponents, withheld millions of pages of Jeffrey Epstein files, and attempted to clear Trump of unpaid taxes.

参议院司法委员会中排名最高的民主党人、伊利诺伊州参议员迪克·德宾对布兰奇的提名表达了强烈反对。德宾在6月24日的委员会听证会上指责布兰奇滥用司法部“强大的起诉权力”来针对任何敢于违抗总统的人。德宾批评称，布兰奇将司法部当成了一家刑事辩护律师事务所，而其唯一的客户就是总统特朗普。此外，民主党人还计划就爱泼斯坦文件发布不当、特朗普国税局特惠交易以及加密货币领域的腐败等问题向布兰奇施压。

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has strongly criticized the nomination, accusing Blanche of using the Justice Department like a criminal defense firm with Trump as its sole client. During a committee hearing on June 24, Durbin accused Blanche of abusing the awesome prosecutorial power of the DOJ to target anyone who crosses the president. Democrats also plan to press Blanche on what they describe as a botched release of the Epstein files, a sweetheart IRS deal for Trump, and cryptocurrency corruption.

在即将到来的听证会中，舆论关注的核心焦点是拟建的18亿美元“反武器化基金”。该基金最初由托德·布兰奇在担任代理司法部长期间进行辩护，其设立宗旨是向在2021年1月6日国会山骚乱中被判罪的特朗普支持者支付资金。然而，该基金的设立计划立即引发了强烈的政治反弹，批评人士将其谴责为旨在使特朗普盟友受益的“政治分赃基金”，甚至将其称为针对袭警人员的“MAGA分赃基金”。

At the center of the upcoming confirmation hearing is the controversy surrounding the proposed $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund.' Initially defended by Todd Blanche after he became acting attorney general in early April, the fund was designed to provide payments to Trump supporters who were convicted of crimes during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. However, the proposal immediately drew intense criticism from opponents, who labeled it a 'slush fund' benefiting Trump's allies and referred to it as a 'MAGA slush fund for cop beaters.'

面对来自两党的强烈反对与广泛质疑，布兰奇最终选择妥协，并宣布不会继续推进该基金的设立。尽管该计划已被搁置，但围绕该基金和解案的争议仍未平息。参议院司法委员会的民主党人计划在听证会上就该基金的决策过程对布兰奇进行严厉追问，而部分共和党议员也明确表示，他们需要布兰奇在听证会上给出确凿的保证，证明这一极具争议的基金已经彻底被取消。

Following severe bipartisan backlash, Blanche ultimately backed down and stated that he would not move forward with the fund. Despite the decision to shelve the initiative, the controversy surrounding the settlement that established the fund remains a major point of contention. Democratic senators plan to press Blanche on the details of the proposal, while key Republicans are demanding firm assurances during the hearing that the controversial fund is permanently dead.

在参议院司法委员会中，即将离任的德克萨斯州共和党参议员约翰·科宁和北卡罗来纳州共和党参议员汤姆·蒂利斯成为了决定托德·布兰奇能否通过确认的关键人物。由于这两位议员都将在本届任期结束时卸任，他们在面对总统特朗普时没有太多后顾之忧。科宁和蒂利斯均已表明，他们对布兰奇的支持可能将取决于其在听证会上如何回答有关该争议和解案及“反武器化基金”的一系列问题。他们最核心的要求是获得布兰奇的确凿保证，证实该基金已经彻底取消。

On the Republican side of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outgoing Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have emerged as pivotal swing votes for Todd Blanche's confirmation. Since both senators are leaving office at the end of this term, they have little left to lose in bucking President Donald Trump. Both men have signaled that their support for Blanche could hinge on how he addresses a host of questions during the hearing regarding the controversial settlement that led to the creation of the 'anti-weaponization fund.' Their primary demand is to receive firm assurances from the nominee that the fund is permanently dead.

目前，这两位共和党参议员的态度存在微妙差异。蒂利斯表示他目前的立场是投“赞成”票，但他警告称，自己对该基金仍有一些必须解决的“问题”。相比之下，科宁则尚未做出最终决定。科宁强调，尽管他“想做正确的事”，但他更希望看到一位能够公正执行法律、而不仅仅是担任总统私人律师的司法部长。这两位关键共和党人的投票意向，将直接受到布兰奇在听证会上就该基金问题所作陈述的影响。

The two Republican senators currently hold slightly different postures heading into the hearing. While Tillis stated that his current position is a 'yes' vote on Blanche, he cautioned that he still has outstanding 'issues' with the fund that must be addressed. Cornyn, who remains undecided, emphasized that while he wants to do the right thing, he wants an attorney general who will enforce the law and not act merely as a lawyer for the president, making his final vote dependent on Blanche's testimony.

周一出台的一项联邦法院裁决使托德·布兰奇的确认进程变得更加复杂。该裁决指出，布兰奇可能会因为在处理与“反武器化基金”相关的争议性法庭和解案时的行为而面临纪律处分。这一事态发展在周三的听证会前夕，进一步加剧了外界对其职业操守的质疑，也让原本就对该和解案持保留态度的参议员们提高了警惕。

A federal court ruling on Monday has significantly complicated Todd Blanche's confirmation path by suggesting that the nominee could face disciplinary action over his handling of the controversial settlement linked to the 'anti-weaponization fund.' This sudden legal development has heightened the stakes immediately ahead of Wednesday's hearing, adding a new layer of scrutiny to his past actions as acting attorney general.

这一潜在的纪律处分风险，直接加深了诸如约翰·科宁等关键共和党参议员对布兰奇能否公正执法的疑虑。科宁明确表示，这一法院裁决进一步提高了此次听证会的关注度。他强调，自己希望未来的司法部长能够独立、公正地执行法律，而不是仅仅充当总统的私人律师。这一裁决结果无疑为布兰奇在听证会上争取共和党关键选票增添了巨大的阻力。

The potential for disciplinary action has directly intensified doubts among key Republicans, particularly Senator John Cornyn, regarding Blanche's commitment to independent law enforcement. Cornyn noted that the court's ruling has raised the stakes for the upcoming confirmation hearing. He reiterated his demand for an attorney general who will faithfully enforce the law rather than serve merely as a personal lawyer for the president, making Blanche's defense of his legal conduct crucial to securing necessary Republican votes.