Justice Department Official Accused of Crypto Conflict of Interest Amid Criticism of Trump's Policy Shift
A nonpartisan government watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Justice Department's acting inspector general, alleging that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche may have broken federal conflict-of-interest law when he issued a new prosecution policy benefiting the cryptocurrency industry.
Blanche, who serves as President Biden's top deputy at the Department of Justice, is also the attorney for former President Donald Trump, who was convicted of 34 felonies related to hush-money payments. The complaint suggests that Blanche's order in April, which ended investigations into crypto companies and eliminated an enforcement team dedicated to looking for crypto-related fraud and money-laundering schemes, may have been motivated by his own financial interests.
According to ProPublica, Blanche owned at least $159,000 worth of crypto-related assets when he issued the order. The watchdog group claims that this raises questions about whether Blanche's actions were "blatantly and improperly influenced" by his own financial benefits.
Blanche had previously signed an ethics agreement promising to divest from cryptocurrency within 90 days of taking office and not to participate in any matter affecting his financial interests. However, he transferred his crypto investments to his adult children and grandchild just over a month after issuing the memo, raising concerns about whether this was done in compliance with the law.
"Strong evidence" of wrongdoing has prompted the Campaign Legal Center to request an investigation into Blanche's actions. The watchdog group believes that Blanche "clearly verified" that he took action inconsistent with his ethics agreement.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaint. However, critics are calling for greater transparency and accountability within the agency, particularly given its new leadership under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
"This is a clear case of conflict of interest," said Kedric Payne, general counsel and senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. "The public has a right to know that decisions are being made in their best interests, not for personal gain."
If found guilty, penalties could range from up to one year in jail or a civil fine of up to $50,000 to as much as five years in prison.
As Deputy Attorney General, Blanche is now responsible for leading the remaking of the Department of Justice and has made headlines with his handling of sensitive cases, including Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The investigation into his actions could have far-reaching implications for the agency's integrity and its ability to enforce laws without bias or favoritism.
A nonpartisan government watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Justice Department's acting inspector general, alleging that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche may have broken federal conflict-of-interest law when he issued a new prosecution policy benefiting the cryptocurrency industry.
Blanche, who serves as President Biden's top deputy at the Department of Justice, is also the attorney for former President Donald Trump, who was convicted of 34 felonies related to hush-money payments. The complaint suggests that Blanche's order in April, which ended investigations into crypto companies and eliminated an enforcement team dedicated to looking for crypto-related fraud and money-laundering schemes, may have been motivated by his own financial interests.
According to ProPublica, Blanche owned at least $159,000 worth of crypto-related assets when he issued the order. The watchdog group claims that this raises questions about whether Blanche's actions were "blatantly and improperly influenced" by his own financial benefits.
Blanche had previously signed an ethics agreement promising to divest from cryptocurrency within 90 days of taking office and not to participate in any matter affecting his financial interests. However, he transferred his crypto investments to his adult children and grandchild just over a month after issuing the memo, raising concerns about whether this was done in compliance with the law.
"Strong evidence" of wrongdoing has prompted the Campaign Legal Center to request an investigation into Blanche's actions. The watchdog group believes that Blanche "clearly verified" that he took action inconsistent with his ethics agreement.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaint. However, critics are calling for greater transparency and accountability within the agency, particularly given its new leadership under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
"This is a clear case of conflict of interest," said Kedric Payne, general counsel and senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. "The public has a right to know that decisions are being made in their best interests, not for personal gain."
If found guilty, penalties could range from up to one year in jail or a civil fine of up to $50,000 to as much as five years in prison.
As Deputy Attorney General, Blanche is now responsible for leading the remaking of the Department of Justice and has made headlines with his handling of sensitive cases, including Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The investigation into his actions could have far-reaching implications for the agency's integrity and its ability to enforce laws without bias or favoritism.
This whole thing is pretty fishy, if you ask me... I mean, Blanche owns like $159,000 worth of crypto assets and he just happens to issue a policy that benefits the industry? It's not exactly a leap to conclude that his own financial interests are at play here. And let's be real, his whole move on divesting from cryptocurrency just sounds like a pretty weak attempt to cover his tracks. The Campaign Legal Center is right to push for an investigation - we need more transparency and accountability in the Justice Department, especially with someone as influential as Blanche at the helm. 
. And the fact that he transferred his crypto investments to family members after making that policy change? That's just dodgy 
. I don’t think it’s fair to question someone's integrity without more info, but at the same time... this all seems kinda fishy 
. If there is even a whiff of wrongdoing, penalties should be tough 
. We need transparency in our government, especially with people in high power positions 
.
I need to see some receipts on this one, how did he transfer his investments to his family members so quickly? Was it all done in 90 days like he promised? 
What's going on here is a clear case of conflict of interest and it needs to be looked into ASAP. We can't have our DOJ officials making decisions based on personal gain, not the public's best interests. 
demanding an investigation
anyway, back to crypto... have you guys tried using those cryptocurrency debit cards? like, i've heard they're getting more popular but also kinda sketchy 
. If Deputy AG Todd Blanche is indeed biased towards the crypto industry because of his own financial interests, that's a huge red flag 
. I mean, who gets to make policies that benefit their own wallet? It's just not right. The fact that he transferred his investments to his family members after issuing the memo raises even more suspicions 
. We need to know what's going on behind closed doors at the Justice Department and ensure that our leaders are acting in our best interests, not just their own pockets 
!
.
! Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche 
, seems to have a personal stake in the crypto industry 
. $159k worth of crypto assets? 
! And now he's transferred them to his family members 
, raising questions about whether he followed the law 
.
. One year in jail or a fine of up to $50k would be a good start 
.
. Todd Blanche, the Deputy AG, is tied to crypto through his family and assets, which raises some eyebrows. It's not just about his personal finances but also about whether he was acting in the best interest of the country or just his own interests 
.
!
! I mean, come on, Blanche is basically getting paid by the crypto industry he's supposed to regulate? That's some serious conflict of interest 
. And what's with the lack of transparency from the Justice Department? They need to get their act together and be more transparent about these kinds of dealings. It's not like we're asking for much, just a little honesty and accountability would go a long way.
. I mean, he promised to divest from crypto within 90 days, but then he transfers it to his kids and grandkid? That's some serious dodging of the law 
, but this kind of behavior is just unacceptable. We need more people like Kedric Payne speaking out about these issues and demanding change 
. I'm not sure what's more disturbing, the fact that someone might be able to do that or that it seems like a lot of people are turning a blind eye 
. Can't we just have our leaders act in the best interest of the country for once?