President Donald Trump on Monday tapped Todd Blanche, a high Justice Division official and former private legal professional for the president, to run the Library of Congress, a Justice Division spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost.
Blanche is predicted to proceed his function as deputy legal professional normal whereas additionally serving because the performing librarian of Congress, overseeing one of many largest libraries on the earth. That might make him certainly one of a number of Trump officers to carry multiple demanding jobs at completely different agencies.
Trump ousted the earlier librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, final week. Hayden, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, was the primary lady and Black particular person to carry the famend library’s high put up.
It’s not clear what kind of skilled librarian expertise Blanche may need. His LinkedIn web page says he studied communications, economics and political science at American College and later acquired his juris physician from Brooklyn Regulation College. It makes no point out of a level in library science.
Blanche labored as Trump’s lead protection legal professional in his criminal trial in New York Metropolis final 12 months.
Politico reported Monday that Blanche’s appointment as performing librarian is outwardly in dispute. Robert Randolph Newlen, a library official who took over after Hayden’s firing final week, wrote an electronic mail to library workers saying, “Congress is engaged with the White Home and we’ve got not acquired route from Congress about the best way to transfer ahead.”
The Library of Congress didn’t instantly reply to a request from HuffPost on Monday searching for readability on the library’s management.
As HuffPost reported final week, Trump’s favourite loyalists have a method of discovering themselves in a number of jobs on the similar time. Secretary of State Marco Rubio can also be serving as Trump’s performing nationwide safety adviser, in addition to the performing head of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth and the Nationwide Archives and Information Administration.
In the meantime, Jamieson Greer helps coordinate Trump’s commerce conflict because the U.S. commerce consultant whereas additionally ostensibly working the Workplace of Particular Counsel and the Workplace of Authorities Ethics.
Consultants in government department staffing advised HuffPost they’re involved with all of the “twin hatting” happening within the administration, noting that anyone of those jobs requires full-time consideration, to not point out particular coaching and expertise.
Blanche serving as each deputy legal professional normal and the librarian of Congress on the similar time would seemingly be “one other first,” mentioned Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a scholar on the American presidency and visiting fellow on the Brookings Establishment.
“I’ve by no means heard of this earlier than,” Tenpas mentioned in an electronic mail Monday. “The DAG job is immense and so consequential.”
