Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche Under Fire for Crypto Conflict of Interest
A group of six Democratic senators has accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of having a glaring conflict of interest when he shut down investigations into cryptocurrency companies, dealers and exchanges. The investigation was halted after Blanche issued a memo titled "Ending Regulation by Prosecution" that condemned the Biden Justice Department's tough approach towards crypto.
The senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, and Mazie Hirono, among others, have raised concerns about Blanche's motivations for the policy shift. They cited a ProPublica investigation that revealed Blanche owned at least $159,000 worth of crypto-related assets when he ordered an end to the work.
The senators claim that Blanche's actions appear to violate the federal conflict of interest law and that he should have recused himself due to his substantial cryptocurrency holdings. The group is seeking answers from Blanche about how and when his actions were cleared by ethics officials, as well as any written determination he received about the legality of his crypto enforcement action.
The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, has also launched an investigation into Blanche's orders, alleging that they violated the law because they benefited the industry broadly. The group estimates that the value of Blanche's bitcoin holdings rose by 34% between when he issued the memo and when he divested.
Blanche had previously signed an ethics agreement promising to dump his cryptocurrency within 90 days of his confirmation and not to participate in any matter that could have a "direct and predictable effect on my financial interests" until his crypto-related products were sold. However, he issued the memo just before divesting, which has raised concerns among lawmakers.
The investigation into Blanche's actions comes as there is a surge in illicit cryptocurrency activities in 2025, including crimes tied to money laundering and human trafficking. The senators are seeking answers from Blanche about how his actions will address these issues and whether they align with the public interest or the financial interests of government officials.
A group of six Democratic senators has accused Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of having a glaring conflict of interest when he shut down investigations into cryptocurrency companies, dealers and exchanges. The investigation was halted after Blanche issued a memo titled "Ending Regulation by Prosecution" that condemned the Biden Justice Department's tough approach towards crypto.
The senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, and Mazie Hirono, among others, have raised concerns about Blanche's motivations for the policy shift. They cited a ProPublica investigation that revealed Blanche owned at least $159,000 worth of crypto-related assets when he ordered an end to the work.
The senators claim that Blanche's actions appear to violate the federal conflict of interest law and that he should have recused himself due to his substantial cryptocurrency holdings. The group is seeking answers from Blanche about how and when his actions were cleared by ethics officials, as well as any written determination he received about the legality of his crypto enforcement action.
The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog group, has also launched an investigation into Blanche's orders, alleging that they violated the law because they benefited the industry broadly. The group estimates that the value of Blanche's bitcoin holdings rose by 34% between when he issued the memo and when he divested.
Blanche had previously signed an ethics agreement promising to dump his cryptocurrency within 90 days of his confirmation and not to participate in any matter that could have a "direct and predictable effect on my financial interests" until his crypto-related products were sold. However, he issued the memo just before divesting, which has raised concerns among lawmakers.
The investigation into Blanche's actions comes as there is a surge in illicit cryptocurrency activities in 2025, including crimes tied to money laundering and human trafficking. The senators are seeking answers from Blanche about how his actions will address these issues and whether they align with the public interest or the financial interests of government officials.
he's like, profiting off crypto at the same time he's supposed to be regulating it? that's just wrong. i mean, what's next? is he gonna let all the hackers and scammers run wild too? 
and those senators are actually on point for calling him out, they deserve a raise or something. i wonder if he'll ever answer for this or just sweep it under the rug like the shady politician we know he is 
just read that Deputy AG Todd Blanche is being accused of having a huge conflict of interest coz he owned like $159k worth of crypto assets when he shut down investigations into cryptocurrency companies 
. like, what's good with that? senators are saying it's a clear violation of federal law and they wanna know why his ethics team didn't catch this before. also, the Campaign Legal Center is like "hey dude, you messed up big time" 
. what's next?
this guy's conflict of interest is super shady... like he's profiting off of shutting down investigations into crypto companies? it's not right, you know? 
his own value went up by 34% after he issued that memo, that's just crazy talk! 
what really got me is that senators are questioning whether his actions align with public interest or if they're just benefiting the industry he's supposed to regulate... it's like, hello, can't we trust our government officials to do their job fairly? 
? so deputy AG Todd Blanche is under fire for allegedly having a conflict of interest in crypto 
but seriously, 159k worth of crypto assets? that's sus. he ordered an end to the investigation and then divested his holdings just before? it sounds like a plan to profiteer off the industry he's supposed to be regulating 
. how can you have a direct effect on your financial interests if you're supposed to be serving the public interest? 
... Anyway, I reckon it's about time someone took a closer look at Blanche's actions and figured out what's goin' on here.
I'm not surprised the Dem senators are calling him out on this. The Campaign Legal Center investigating him too? That's a big deal.
this whole crypto conflict of interest thing is a major red flag, ya know? He's basically saying he can just make decisions based on what's good for his own wallet instead of doing what's best for the country. I mean, come on, dude - you're supposed to be serving the public, not your own personal investments 
. The fact that his crypto holdings went up by 34% after he made those changes? That's just too convenient, bro 
, you know? Todd Blanche's sudden shift on crypto regulation just doesn't add up. I mean, what's the real motive here? Is it really about serving the public interest or just lining his pockets with more crypto wealth? The fact that he owned all that crypto when he made his infamous memo is just sketchy 
. We need more watchdogs like them to keep our government officials in check, especially when it comes to these kinds of lucrative industries. This whole situation is just a big ol' mess, and I'm waiting with bated breath to see how it all plays out 
This just doesn't feel right. I mean, when you've got someone making decisions that affect an industry they have a personal stake in... it's like they're playing both sides against each other. 
I mean, who wouldn't want to regulate cryptocurrency in a way that benefits themselves? 
.
.
We need to stay vigilant and keep pushing for accountability 
.
Blanche's crypto holdings alone cost taxpayers $159k 
. That raises so many questions about potential corruption 
.
. This Todd Blanche dude is trying to cover his tracks like a pro, but I ain't buying it 
. We need to keep an eye on this guy and make sure he's serving the public interest or whatever that is 
. these senators are right to be asking questions about blanche's ethics - we need more transparency in government, especially when it comes to financial conflicts of interest. and let's not forget, with all the illicit crypto activities going on right now, this is the perfect time for some accountability 
. someone needs to make sure that blanche's interests aren't being put ahead of the public good 
.
I'm not buying it for a second. He's basically saying "screw the public interest" and "I'll just do what's best for my own pockets". And now he's trying to sweep this under the rug with some flimsy excuses about ethics officials giving him the green light? Please, save it for the bad actors on the dark web who are actually committing crimes, not some rich guy playing the system 
.
.
.
️. This whole thing smells fishy to me