WATCH: Sen. Durbin makes opening statement in Blanche confirmation hearing

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made his opening statement Wednesday in the confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche. Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, stepped into the role of acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was fired in early April. Senators are likely to question Blanche on his relationship to the president, as well as his role in controversial decisions at the Justice Department, including high-profile indictments of Trump’s perceived foes and the government’s handling of the Epstein files. Since taking the top role at the Justice Department, Blanche has faced the most scrutiny over a deal to settle litigation with Trump over the leaking of his personal tax returns. Last month, he testified to Congress that the Justice Department was dropping a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating the president’s allies who felt like they had been unfairly persecuted due to strong bipartisan backlash. This is the first of two days of confirmation hearings the committee has scheduled. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok:   / pbsnews   X:   / newshour   Instagram:   / newshour   Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour