Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) privately told a constituent in a letter that she has serious ongoing concerns about Todd Blanche serving as attorney general.
The letter, obtained by Alaska Public Media, makes clear that Murkowski is still making up her mind and is having ongoing discussions with the administration.
The concerns Murkowski outlined include "the Settlement Agreement in the lawsuit filed by President Trump, his sons, and The Trump Organization, LLC against the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of the Treasury; DOJ's handling of the release of the Epstein files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and concerns from survivors about the lack of new criminal investigations; and Mr. Blanche's ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of Attorney General given his previous relationship as President Trump's personal attorney."
Murkowski also acknowledged she is hearing significant opposition from constituents, but added that Blanche recently visited Alaska to learn about the state's unique law enforcement challenges, and "I appreciated his willingness to hear directly from Alaskans."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has come out in opposition to Blanche, while Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and John Cornyn (R-TX), who spent weeks resisting, finally gave their stamp of approval after a relatively weak written rescission of the Trump "anti-weaponization fund" settlement.
If Murkowski and fellow Blanche skeptic Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) do not agree to his nomination, then Republicans will need seriously ill Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to return to the Senate to get to the 50 needed for Vice President J.D. Vance to break a tie. If one or both of these senators back Blanche, his nomination will be secured.