Todd Blanche Bio
Todd Wallace Blanche (born August 6, 1974) is an American attorney, former federal prosecutor, and government official who has served as the United States Deputy Attorney General since January 2025. A graduate of American University and Brooklyn Law School, Blanche built a career in federal prosecution before entering private practice and eventually representing Donald Trump in multiple criminal matters. Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Blanche was nominated to serve as the nation’s second-ranking law enforcement official and was confirmed by the Senate in March 2025.
In addition to his role at the Department of Justice, Blanche was named acting Librarian of Congress in May 2025, an appointment whose legality was promptly disputed by Library of Congress staff. Blanche is married to Kristine Blanche, with whom he has two children, and the family has long ties to professional sports through his father, Richard Blanche.
Early Life and Background
Todd Wallace Blanche was born on August 6, 1974, in Denver, Colorado. His father, Richard Blanche, was a Canadian hockey player, while his mother worked as a nurse. Richard later managed a religious congregation, the Faith Bible Fellowship, in the basement of the family home. After neighbors complained, authorities deemed the gatherings a zoning violation. Richard was cited for contempt but vowed to continue preaching. After the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against him, the Blanches relocated to Gainesville, Florida, in 1987.
Blanche was raised in Denver before his family’s move to Florida. He attended the New Mexico Military Institute, where he was described as a standout athlete. In 1992, Blanche enrolled at Louisiana State University before transferring to Beloit College the following year, where he played on the basketball and baseball teams.
By 1994, Blanche had transferred to American University in Washington, D.C. That same year, he married Kristine, a biology major at the Catholic University of America whom he had met in Australia. He was drawn to American University by an interest in politics and a desire to be closer to his new wife. During his undergraduate years, Blanche interned at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, a position that later evolved into full-time employment.
Path to US Politics
After completing his undergraduate degree, Blanche worked as a paralegal in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York while attending Brooklyn Law School at night. He graduated cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2003 and joined Davis Polk as an associate. During this period, he also completed temporary clerkships for judges Denny Chin and Joseph F. Bianco in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
In 2006, Blanche returned to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an assistant United States attorney. He spent eight years in the office’s violent-crimes division, eventually rising to co-chief of that division and later managing the district’s branch office in White Plains alongside Mimi Rocah. Colleagues later suggested that Blanche had been marked for a judicial nomination, signaling his standing within the legal community.
Blanche transitioned to private practice in 2014, joining WilmerHale as a partner. In 2017, he moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he continued representing high-profile clients. His growing reputation for handling politically sensitive matters ultimately led him to represent several figures associated with Donald Trump and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, paving the way for his later role in Trump’s criminal defense.
Todd Blanche Career
Early Career (2003–2014)
Blanche began his legal career at Davis Polk after graduating from Brooklyn Law School in 2003. He completed clerkships with judges Denny Chin of the District Court for the Southern District of New York and Joseph F. Bianco of the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, gaining early exposure to complex federal litigation.
In 2006, Blanche joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an assistant United States attorney. Over the next eight years, he worked in the violent-crimes division, eventually becoming its co-chief. He later ran the district’s branch office in White Plains, New York, where he worked alongside Mimi Rocah, building a reputation as a determined and capable federal prosecutor.
Private Practice Breakthrough (2014–2023)
After leaving government service, Blanche joined WilmerHale as a partner in 2014 and later moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in 2017. By June 2019, he had begun representing Paul Manafort after Manafort was indicted on state mortgage fraud charges in New York. Blanche filed a motion to dismiss the charges on double-jeopardy grounds, and the indictment was dismissed in December, a decision later affirmed by the New York Supreme Court in October 2020.
In his personal capacity, Blanche also represented businessman Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudy Giuliani implicated in the Trump–Ukraine scandal, as well as attorney Boris Epshteyn. In April 2023, he founded Blanche Law. According to The New York Times, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft’s reputational committee disagreed with Blanche’s decision to represent Trump; Blanche later expressed displeasure at the firm’s unwillingness to give him latitude.
Trump Defense Era (2023–2024)
In April 2023, one day before Donald Trump was arraigned in New York over concealed hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, Trump added Blanche to his defense team. Blanche went on to defend Trump in the federal classified documents case and the federal election obstruction case, becoming one of two principal lawyers, alongside Christopher Kise, representing Trump in the classified documents matter.
Blanche led Trump’s defense in the New York criminal trial. He sought to delay the trial past the 2024 presidential election, securing a limited three-week delay from judge Juan Merchan. His defense strategy focused on downplaying the payments and casting Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels as unreliable narrators. Despite his efforts, the jury unanimously convicted Trump in May 2024. In November 2024, ABC News reported that Blanche’s phone had been hacked by Chinese threat actors.
Deputy Attorney General Era (2025–Present)
On November 14, 2024, following his victory in the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump named Blanche as his nominee for Deputy Attorney General. Blanche appeared before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 12, 2025, defending Trump against perceived allegations of prosecutorial impropriety. The committee voted 12–10 along party lines to advance his nomination on February 27, and the Senate confirmed Blanche on March 5, 2025, in a 52–46 vote largely along party lines. He was sworn in on March 6, 2025.
As Deputy Attorney General, Blanche issued a memorandum shifting Department of Justice hiring toward the United States–Mexico border. He placed two prosecutors involved in the Adams case on leave and dismissed pardon attorney Liz Oyer after she rejected his request to add the actor Mel Gibson to a list of individuals whose gun rights should be restored. He also dismissed Erez Reuveni, barred Department of Justice lawyers from attending American Bar Association events, and disbanded the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team. In May 2025, Trump dismissed acting Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and named Blanche to succeed her, an appointment whose legality was disputed by Library of Congress staff.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Blanche’s most consequential moments was leading Donald Trump’s defense in the New York criminal trial, a high-profile case that ended in conviction in May 2024. His confirmation as Deputy Attorney General on March 5, 2025, by a 52–46 Senate vote marked another milestone. His appointment as acting Librarian of Congress in May 2025, while simultaneously serving as Deputy Attorney General, drew significant legal scrutiny and a standoff at the James Madison Memorial Building when Department of Justice officials sought access to the Copyright Office.
Todd Blanche Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
Todd Wallace Blanche was born to Richard Blanche, a Canadian hockey player who later managed the Faith Bible Fellowship congregation, and a mother who worked as a nurse. Richard’s commitment to his religious work, even in the face of legal challenges, reflected a family tradition of public conviction. The Blanches relocated from Denver to Gainesville, Florida, in 1987 after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Richard’s zoning dispute.
Personal Life
Blanche married Kristine Blanche in 1994. The couple met in Australia before settling in the United States, and Kristine studied biology at the Catholic University of America. They have two children together. Blanche’s career moves, including his transfer to American University, were influenced in part by a desire to be closer to Kristine during their early years of marriage.