Washington, D.C. — Newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche sent his first invoice to the United States government Saturday morning, just hours after being sworn in, billing the country $600 an hour “as a professional courtesy given our long-standing relationship.”
The invoice, addressed to “The American People, c/o U.S. Treasury,” reportedly itemized several line items including “reviewing case files,” “returning phone calls from client,” and “emotional support during difficult news cycles.”
Sources inside the Justice Department say Blanche, who spent years as President Trump’s personal defense attorney before ascending to the nation’s top law enforcement post in a 50-49 vote early Saturday, has struggled to adjust his mental model of who, exactly, he now works for.”
He kept referring to the country as ‘my client’ during the swearing-in,” said one DOJ staffer who asked not to be named. “At one point he told the Chief Justice he’d ‘circle back after conferring with the client,’ and then just stared at the flag for a while.”
Colleagues say Blanche has also requested a retainer, insisted on billing in six-minute increments, and left several government meetings early, citing “another matter I need to attend to for the client.”When asked whether the American people were expected to pay the new invoice, a Treasury spokesperson declined to comment but was seen quietly forwarding the email to legal.
At publishing time, Blanche had reportedly asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to “sign here, here, and initial here” before his next confirmation hearing.
