NYCLA President’s Statement About the Disciplinary Complaint Against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche

New York, New York – The New York County Lawyers Association’s (NYCLA) President, Ronald C. Minkoff, today issued this statement regarding the disciplinary complaint against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Like many members of our profession, I read with dismay the disciplinary complaint that Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, and 101 former federal and state judges filed with the New York attorney disciplinary body against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.  The 69-page, single-spaced Complaint with 421 footnotes, supposedly based on court documents, news reports, and other public information, details a litany of alleged misconduct by Mr. Blanche, including (1) treating the Justice Dept. (DOJ) as President Trump’s personal attorney rather than the attorney for the people of the United States of America; (2) granting lifetime tax immunity to President Trump and related parties and agreeing to create a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as part of the purported settlement of President Trump v. IRS; (3) pursuing criminal investigations and prosecutions against the President’s personal and political enemies (including New York State Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and Senator Adam Schiff); (4) having the DOJ repeatedly disregard court orders in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation cases; and (5) releasing the Epstein documents in a botched and incomplete manner, including releasing private information of nearly 100 survivors of the Epstein abuses.

Neither I nor NYCLA as a whole takes a position at this time as to the veracity of these charges; both sides have not presented their evidence. Nevertheless, if even some of the charges against Mr. Blanche are warranted, it will show that the Department of Justice with Mr. Blanche as its leader, has strayed far from its mission of promoting justice and serving the American people. To restore the Department’s integrity, it is imperative that New York’s Attorney Grievance Committee begin to thoroughly investigate the charges presented, without fear or favor.

I recognize that some believe state disciplinary officials do not have the authority to investigate federal employees.  But New York Rule of Professional Conduct 8.5(a) makes clear that New York licensed lawyers are generally subject to this State’s disciplinary rules no matter where they work or their employer.  Still others believe that state courts lack jurisdiction to seek discipline over lawyers working as Presidential appointees in the federal government.  Indeed, the Florida Supreme Court took that very position last year when it declined to investigate a disciplinary complaint against then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.   But almost 30 years ago Congress passed the McDade Amendment (28 U.S.C. § 530B) to clarify that federal government lawyers must abide by the rules of professional conduct of their states of admission – and may be prosecuted under those rules if they fail to do so.  Thus, on March 26, 2026, NYCLA filed a comment strongly opposing the proposed DOJ regulation that would block the states from investigating ethical infractions by DOJ attorneys.

The First Department’s Attorney Grievance Committee showed its willingness to put professionalism and the public interest over politics when it successfully prosecuted President Trump’s then personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, for lying to courts and legislative tribunals about the results of the 2020 Presidential election.  (NYCLA was the only Bar Association to join in the complaint against Mr. Giuliani). The Committee should treat the charges against Mr. Blanche with similar respect.  A thorough, impartial investigation of those charges by career disciplinary prosecutors is needed to help restore the public’s faith in the integrity and professionalism of the Justice Department and its leadership.

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This statement has been issued by the NYCLA President. It has not been reviewed by NYCLA‘s full Board of Directors and does not necessarily represent its views.