Dylan Kresak, DCNF
Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche got into a fiery clash Wednesday over a Paramount-hosted dinner honoring President Donald Trump.
Blanche appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing as Trump’s nominee to permanently lead the Department of Justice (DOJ). Booker repeatedly cut off Blanche’s answers as he pressed the nominee on the dinner and the DOJ’s decision to close the investigation.
“The same day that Paramount shareholders voted to approve the merger, David Ellison, the head of the acquiring company, hosted a dinner that you attended, honoring the President of the United States. While you were at that dinner, the DOJ was still investigating a merger. Did you speak with Mr. Ellison on that evening?” Booker asked.
“No,” Blanche responded.
“Did you discuss with anyone involved in that organization that evening the department’s ongoing investigations?” the New Jersey asked.
Again, the attorney general nominee replied “no.”
Blanche attended the April dinner in Washington, D.C. and the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros merger was approved that same day. The DOJ closed the investigation roughly seven weeks afterwards, according to an Antitrust Division press release.
“Well, six weeks later, after that dinner, that investigation was closed that you’re stating you have no idea if the attorneys in charge even finished their investigation,” Booker said.
“That’s not what I said,” Blanche replied.
Blanche clarified that Booker’s question was about the attorneys recommending the DOJ close the merger investigation.
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“I said I wasn’t sure,” he said. “That’s different.”
Blanche then told Booker earlier in the exchange that he was “part of the decision” to close the merger probe, according to CBS News. He said he had “a conversation” with an Antitrust Division official who handled the DOJ’s antitrust review.
“[The merger] is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers,” the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division concluded in the June 12 statement ending its eight-month review of Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The Justice Department ethics rules are very clear about approving about avoiding the appearance of impropriety. In a case like this, I don’t think that’s appearance of impropriety, I think that’s improper … that the connected and the powerful are getting a chance to rub shoulders. It would seem appropriate that you avoid those kind of appearances and dinners like that,” Booker told Blanche.
“Every appearance or dinner or speech that I give are cleared by ethics officials,” Blanche responded.
Blanche, who defended Trump at his 2024 New York hush money trial, has run the DOJ in an acting capacity since Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi in April.
“So, your attendance at that dinner was cleared by ethics officials?” Booker asked.
“You can ask the questions, but you cannot control my answers. I’m under oath, and I can answer the questions I choose to answer them,” Blanche said.
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