So much for fighting corruption: Todd Blanche is a step closer to confirmation

The battle over Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general has affirmed the undeniable reality that corruption is the rotten core of the Trump administration.  

Trump last week was willing to sacrifice Blanche’s confirmation rather than back down on the wildly corrupt slush fund and immunity deal that Blanche approved as if he were still Trump’s personal lawyer and not the acting attorney general of the United States. Efforts by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) to fix these deals were trashed by Trump.

Now, it appears, Tillis and Cornyn are satisfied with Blanche rescinding the order creating what Tillis termed the “payout pot for punks” and clarify that the IRS immunity deal applies retroactively “just” to Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization. 

To be clear: none of this erases the rot revealed by the deals that Blanche engineered and approved. Blanche has abused his power to mock the rule of law, enrich his most important client and betray American taxpayers in the process. 

Remember, this all started with an extortion demand from the sitting president against the people he is supposed to serve. In January, Trump and family members filed a lawsuit demanding $10 billion from the taxpayers because a contractor working for the IRS had leaked some of their tax returns. 

Remember, too, that this administration is loudly committed to the idea that there is no such thing as an independent Justice Department. They insist that every executive branch employee, including the acting attorney........

© The Hill