Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as the lead attorney for President Trump in the New York Hash Money case, has been removed from his role as a representative librarian for Congress.
A spokesperson from the Justice Department confirmed this appointment to The Hill on Monday, just days after Trump dismissed former Congressional Librarian Carla Hayden. Hayden was notable for being both the first woman and the first African American to hold the position.
Her removal has led to criticism from Democrats. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) remarked on Thursday that a former Congressional librarian “brought the Library of Congress to the people, reaching rural areas and making it accessible for all Americans, both online and offline.”
Heinrich also stated, “President Trump aims to restrict reading materials and dictate what Americans should or shouldn’t read, while Dr. Hayden committed her career to making reading and knowledge widely available.”
Blanche, who has experience as a federal prosecutor and a prominent white-collar criminal defense attorney, was nominated by the president in November to be deputy attorney general.
“Todd was an excellent lawyer and played a pivotal role in the Justice Department, helping to repair a flawed justice system for an extended period,” Trump commented on Blanche during that announcement.
A request for comment has been made to the Library of Congress.
