US Senator blasts AG pick for ‘dismantling’ crypto unit, Trump’s CZ pardon
Todd Blanche faced Senate backlash over Justice Department crypto enforcement as his nomination for attorney general moved forward. Senator Dick Durbin said Blanche helped dismantle the DOJ’s crypto enforcement unit and shut down investigations, claiming this benefited Trump and his family’s crypto ties, including World Liberty Financial, and that CZ’s pardon raised concerns about a $2 billion deal. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis also questioned the Binance pardon. Blanche said he would review the pardon process if confirmed. He has pushed a shift away from “regulation by prosecution,” saying coders and software developers should not be charged unless they knowingly help criminal misuse. Ongoing cases against crypto developers, including Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, remain active.
