EXCLUSIVE: On Day of Todd Blanche Confirmation Hearing, House Democrats Launch Probe of Blanche's Changes to Taxpayer-Funded Grants

House Democrats Warn that Justice Dept is Making it More Difficult for Police & Crime Victims to Get Assistance

On the day of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing at the Senate, a group of Congressional Democrats have sent the Justice Department a demand for records into a controversial change to how the agency handles taxpayer money.

The House Democrats are pressing for answers – and trying to ring the bell politically – about a big change to popular Justice Department grant programs. Blanche’s agency is consolidating and streamlining a set of Justice Department agencies that fund local police departments, programs to reduce violence against women, officer body-worn cameras, drug treatment and other critical community projects nationwide.

The change would combine the grant funding offices of the Office of Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women and Community-Oriented Policing Services. In the memo issued to Blanche on Wednesday, House Democrats warn the change is an “illegal plan which would reduce the effectiveness of federal public safety efforts.”

The memo, authored by top House Judiciary Committee Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, also warned the shift would further imperil programs that have been gutted or hampered by Trump’s mass layoffs in the Justice Department. The memo said, “This consolidation threatens to further undermine vital grant programs that have already been hampered by unjustified award terminations, uncertainty, and delays.”

Blanche has reportedly defended the changes by arguing the Trump Administration is “creating administrative efficiencies by consolidating the offices, providing grantees with greater access to the full scope of department grant funding.”

https://rollcall.com/2026/06/05/justice-department-moving-forward-with-grant-office-changes/

The changes are projected to begin in September.

In a memo last month, the National Association of Police Organizations warned the consolidation could hamper the office that helps distribute grant funding for police departments to hire officers or purchase equipment. Their memo said the change “could lead to the dilution of law enforcement focused grants under future administrations. COPS initiatives to put and maintain more officers in the field promote community policing, fight crime, and improve officer safety and wellness and should be continued and supported as part of an independent COPS Office.”

“Each of these offices was created to operate independently by law for important reasons. They’re run by people trained to help the specific communities the offices were designed to serve - like victims of domestic violence, local law enforcement agencies and crime victims,” said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department attorney and founder of Justice Connection. Young, whose group helps serve former agency employees, also said, “This unnecessary consolidation will mean that specialized leadership will be muddled or lost. The beneficiaries of these vital programs will bear the consequences.”

The inquiry by House Democrats demands the Justice Department turn over a series of records about the consolidation in the coming weeks. They’ve also sent the Trump Administration a series of specific questions about the grant-making office changes:

• Please explain what staffing changes will be made to accommodate the current and expected future workload, including the hiring or re-hiring of program and grant staff?

• How will the Department adjust staffing across components and functions to ensure the efficient and effective administration of grants under a consolidated office?

• What staffing changes will be made?

• How will the Department ensure that the consolidated office retains the expertise needed to address and uphold the distinct missions of OJP, OVW, and the COPS Office?

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment or background information.