In a move raising eyebrows across political and academic circles, the Department of Justice confirmed Monday that Todd Blanche, former personal criminal attorney to President Donald Trump and current Deputy Attorney General, has been named acting Librarian of Congress.
Blanche, a career prosecutor best known for representing Trump during his 2024 New York criminal trial, has no known experience in library science or information management. His surprise appointment follows the abrupt firing of Carla Hayden, the nation’s first Black and first female Librarian of Congress, who had held the role since 2016.
Alongside Blanche, two other senior Justice Department officials, Associate Deputy Attorney General Paul Perkins and Blanche’s deputy chief of staff Brian Nieves, have also been assigned key roles at the Library of Congress. Perkins has been tapped as acting Register of Copyrights, replacing Shira Perlmutter, while Nieves assumes the role of acting Deputy Librarian of Congress.
The trio now finds themselves at the helm of the largest library in the world, overseeing a vast collection of books, films, manuscripts, and serving as Congress’s primary research body and home to the U.S. Copyright Office.
However, the appointments have not gone smoothly. Perkins and Nieves reported to the Library on Monday but were reportedly escorted out by library staff shortly after arrival, underscoring the confusion and controversy surrounding the leadership shake-up.
Democrats swiftly criticised the move, arguing that the Library of Congress, as a legislative branch agency, falls outside the president’s appointment power. “This is not a White House reality show,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “The Librarian of Congress should be appointed by a bipartisan congressional commission, not handed out as a prize to political allies.”
Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, has called for an inspector general investigation into Hayden’s firing, calling it “an egregious overreach.”
Todd Blanche appointment
Blanche’s appointment also comes on the heels of Perlmutter’s copyright office releasing a detailed report warning about the legal risks of artificial intelligence tools exploiting copyrighted material, an issue likely to draw attention in his new role.
Hayden, a widely respected figure in library science, made history in 2016 when she was appointed by President Obama. In a 2020 interview with CBS News, she reflected on the symbolic importance of her role: “People who look like me were once forbidden by law to learn to read,” she said. “It means so much that here is a person of colour leading the world’s largest library.”
Robert Newlen, a Library of Congress veteran of over 40 years, was initially set to serve as acting librarian following Hayden’s ouster. In an internal email obtained by CBS News, Newlen acknowledged the sudden change, saying, “Congress is engaged with the White House, and we have not yet received direction about how to move forward.”
As legal experts and lawmakers question the constitutionality of the appointments, the fate of the Library of Congress’s leadership remains uncertain and increasingly politicised.
