The Office of The Attorney General

With the removal of Pam Bondi from her position as Attorney General, it’s important to know what the office does and what the role requires. The job of the Attorney General, or AG, is to represent the US in legal matters and to give advice to the president when asked. For example, Janet Reno was the first female AG and served under the Clinton admin. She oversaw the investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing. William French Smith served under Reagan and was not only a vital player in the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connell, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, but increased resources for the war on drugs. The AG is the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government, the president’s principal legal advisor, and 7^th in line for the presidency. According to the Appointment Clause of the Constitution, the AG is nominated by the president and has a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where they must be confirmed by a majority. The AG is the head of the Department of Justice and the FBI, and oversees their budget, operations and investigations.

Todd Blanche, former Deputy AG, stepped into the role of acting AG on 4/2/26. Under Federal law, he may remain AG for 210 days. Blanche, a former NY prosecutor was one of Trump’s personal lawyers, who defended him in the 34 felony hush money case from 2016. Trump was found guilty and convicted, but he received an unconditional discharge on all counts Jan 10, 2025, before stepping into the presidency. During his 2^nd term, Trump nominated Blanche to serve as Deputy AG. Blanche has made it his mission to get rid of all prosecutors in the DOJ who worked under Jack Smith’s Special Counsel and other Jan 6^th prosecutions. “There is not a single man or woman at the DOJ who had anything to do with those prosecutions,” Blanche boasted, at the Conservative Political Action Conference. It should be noted that at least 33 insurrectionists have faced other criminal charges since being pardoned.

Blanche also had Ghislaine Maxwell, accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex offender, moved from a Florida Federal prison to a minimum security prison camp in Texas, Aug 2025, after a 2 day meeting with her. The Texas camp, facility for nonviolent offenders, with dormitory housing, allows freedom of movement. In addition, Blanche went after Trump adversaries, Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, by starting criminal investigations against them. He also personally signed court filings advocating for the dismissal of former NYC Mayor Eric Adams’s criminal corruption case. Several other prosecutors resigned, refusing to sign the documents. In response to stepping into the role of acting AG, Blanche posted on social media: “Thank you to President Trump for the trust and opportunity to serve as acting AG. We will continue backing the blue, enforcing the law and doing everything in our power to keep America safe.”

President Trump is considering nominating Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as a permanent replacement for AG. Zeldin (former NY Senator and Congressional rep) recently spoke at a conference hosted by the Heartland Institute, rejectors of climate science, referred by them as “climate alarmist.” Zeldin stated that the appeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding (which conclude that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare, establishing the basis of the clean air act) reversed decades of unthinking liberal politicians and environmental groups about the dangers of climate change. He said: “Today is a moment to celebrate. It is a day to celebrate vindication.” Under his watch the EPA has rolled back dozens of air and water protections and has said that it does not have the legal authority to regulate climate change.

In response to Zeldin appearing at a Heartland Institute function, Joe Bonifiglio, US Director of the Environmental Defense Fund, stated: “The Heartland Institute is not a scientific organization. It’s a disinformation factory. Having an EPA administrator as their opening act isn’t just embarrassing, it’s a sign of how completely the Trump administration has abandoned its obligation to protect the public from pollution.”

Some takeaways: The Attorney General is not the president’s lawyer. Their job is to protect the legal interests of the US and head the Department of Justice, which includes the FBI. They are there to protect the rule of law. EPA Director, Lee Zeldin, has rolled back regulations that were put in place to keep our water, air and soil clean. The EPA is also granted power by Congress to create and enforce regulations under Federal law.

Stay safe and stay informed.