Who will replace Matt Gaetz? Trump’s hush-money criminal defense lawyer and Deputy AG pick emerges

Attorney Todd Blanche, who defended Donald Trump in his criminal hush-money trial in New York, has emerged as a top candidate for U.S. attorney general.

The opening came after the sudden withdrawal of the newly elected president’s first choice, Matt Gaetz.

Blanche had already been tapped by Trump, who named him as Gaetz’s No. 2 at the Justice Department as deputy AG, among his slew of Cabinet and West Wing picks.

“I am pleased to announce that Todd Blanche will serve as Deputy Attorney General in my administration,” the 78-year-old former president announced last week.

“Todd is an outstanding attorney who will be a critical leader at the Department of Justice, fixing what has been a broken justice system for far too long.”

Trump praised the 50-year-old’s experience in prosecuting gangs and being by his side during the Manhattan trial, in which he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying company records tied to the payments to adults movie star Stormy Daniels.

Emil Bove, another lawyer on the hush money trial team, was given the role of chief deputy attorney general, while John Sauer, the attorney in Trump’s Supreme Court immunity case, was chosen as attorney general.

Blanche was already a candidate for a post that requires Senate confirmation.

His close relationship with the president could create a bumpy road for Senate Democrats, as the Justice Department is expected to be run independently of the president’s wishes.

But in January, Republicans will have the majority.

Trump also appointed another member of his defense team, Topto serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General.

Prior to the Trump case, Bove served as co-chief of the national security unit at the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

In a statement to CNN upon his hiring, Blanche called Bove “an expert in white-collar and CIPA-related litigation.”

Gaetz withdrew his name after a new accusation that the controversial Republican had a threesome involving a minor.

The announcement came a day after the House of Representatives Ethics Committee stalled on releasing a report on allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use by Gaetz.

Donald Trump, sitting with attorneys Emil Bove (L) and Todd Blanche (R), attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments related to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 21, 2024

On Wednesday, Gaetz had met with Republican senators whose support he had needed to be confirmed as attorney general.

Many senators had privately expressed concerns about whether he could be confirmed because of the ethics investigation into allegations of drug use, sex parties and sex with a minor.

Gaetz has already resigned from the House of Representatives before this term, but was re-elected to Congress, which will be sworn in on January 3. He will return as a lawmaker.

Since just after Election Day, a slew of potential appointees have emerged for top positions in the Cabinet or in the West Wing.

This includes Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of the Department of Government Efficiency, and John Ratcliffe as director of the CIA.

But the president-elect sent shockwaves through the Republican Party with his announcement of Gaetz as his attorney general, a bold test of his unchecked power that proved to be a bridge too far.

Former US President Donald Trump walks to the press with his lawyer Todd Blanche at the end of the day of his trial to speak about his alleged cover-up of hush money payments related to extramarital affairs at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on May 16 City. 2024.

Trump announced his decision just minutes after issuing a statement saying he will nominate former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who angered critics with claims about “biolabs” in Ukraine, as director of National Intelligence.

He has also chosen military veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the sprawling Defense Department, despite having little experience managing something of that size.

Gaetz’s withdrawal puts more pressure on Hegseth, who is battling his own sordid sexual assault allegations that are hampering his confirmation process.

The former Fox News host broke his silence on the 2017 allegations that emerged in a damning police report released Wednesday night.

“As far as the media is concerned, the matter has been fully investigated and I have been fully exonerated,” he told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

“I’ll leave it at that,” he said before walking away before meeting more Republican senators who will vote on his nomination.