2026年6月17日 美国东部时间上午11:19 / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
作者：安妮·格雷尔
温·麦克马内/盖蒂图片社/档案资料
内容摘要
- 代理司法部长托德·布兰奇向“司法观察”组织发表私下演讲，试图修复与该保守派团体紧张的关系。
- 布兰奇概述了司法部在选民欺诈和政府武器化指控方面的行动，包括收缴富尔顿县2020年大选的选票。
- 尽管布兰奇努力展现与该团体使命的一致性，“司法观察”还是针对本届政府提起了新的诉讼。
AI生成的摘要已由CNN编辑审核。
近日，在美国前总统唐纳德·特朗普的迈阿密酒店，代理司法部长托德·布兰奇试图缓和与一个保守监督团体的关系，该团体对特朗普政府的不满正从多个方面累积。
4月20日，布兰奇在向“司法观察”发表的私下演讲中，试图展示司法部如何应对选民欺诈和联邦政府武器化的指控。该团体的新领导人汤姆·菲顿一直批评司法部和联邦调查局。
“尽管我们可能并非在所有问题上都意见一致，但我首先要明确说明：你们的使命与我领导的司法部并不冲突，这是司法部必须共同承担的使命，”布兰奇在准备好的讲稿中说道。
此次演讲作为布兰奇获得永久性任命所需的文书工作的一部分已提交国会，它反映出这位美国最高执法官员试图修复与一个团体的关系——该团体曾宣扬2020年大选阴谋论，并持续辩称特朗普政府的行动还不够彻底。
“我们听到了你们的声音，我们理解这些担忧，并且我们正在采取行动，”布兰奇随后补充道。
塞拉尔·居内斯/阿纳多卢通讯社/盖蒂图片社/档案资料
为说明双方关系已经变得何等紧张，布兰奇念出了菲顿的一系列推文，其中他批评司法部“隐瞒有关奥巴马帮派和深层国家虐待特朗普的记录”，并“保护克林顿夫妇”。
“联邦调查局和司法部必须由司法部和联邦调查局以外的机构进行刑事调查，”布兰奇念出的菲顿的另一条推文写道。
“汤姆，汤姆，汤姆，我还以为我们是朋友呢！”布兰奇说道，“我喜欢把我们的关系比作一家人。现在，一起共事、彼此相爱的一家人，在感恩节喝了几瓶酒后还是会拌嘴，但这并不会削弱我们对彼此的爱，也不会动摇我们共同的目标。”
除了称赞“司法观察”在全国范围内寻求清理选民名册的工作，布兰奇还概述了司法部为践行该团体的理念所采取的步骤：任命全国选举诚信负责人、收缴佐治亚州富尔顿县2020年总统大选的选票，以及他们在最高法院前的工作。
“我们不仅仅是在监督，我们正在调查，”布兰奇说，“与上一届政府相比，本届政府第一年的非法投票起诉数量增长了1600%。这并非偶然，这是执法姿态的转变。”
迈克·斯图尔特/美联社
“在富尔顿县，2020年大选的选票已被妥善保管，目前正处于持续的诉讼程序中，”他补充道，“我们正在法庭上争取确保这些原始选票得到保存——既不被销毁，也不被篡改——因为实物证据至关重要。”
布兰奇还谈到了他的机构如何应对“政治化司法”，包括驳回某些刑事案件以及成立一个武器化问题工作组，但未透露具体细节。
周三，菲顿告诉CNN，基于布兰奇4月的演讲，他认为司法部正试图对公众更加透明。
“我认为他们在透明度问题上需要采取更积极的行动。我的印象是，布兰奇在‘司法观察’的露面表明，他们对此感到担忧，并正在努力改善，”菲顿对CNN说道。
CNN已联系司法部征求评论。
尽管布兰奇发表了演讲，该团体仍继续对本届政府提起诉讼。
本月早些时候，“司法观察”针对司法部提起诉讼，要求获取与前特别检察官杰克·史密斯相关的记录。
“不得不提起《信息自由法》诉讼总是令人失望的，”菲顿说，但他补充道，这通常是程序的一部分。
In private speech, Blanche tried to mend fences with critical conservative activist
2026-06-17 11:19 AM ET / CNN
By Annie Grayer
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche listens to a reporter’s question during a press conference at the Department of Justice June 11, in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Images/File
Summary
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche delivered a private speech to Judicial Watch attempting to repair strained relations with the conservative group.
- Blanche outlined Justice Department actions on voter fraud and weaponization claims, including securing ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County.
- Despite his efforts to showcase alignment with the group’s mission, Judicial Watch filed a new lawsuit against the administration.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
At President Donald Trump’s Miami hotel, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently tried to smooth things over with a conservative watchdog group whose anger at the Trump administration was building on multiple fronts.
In the private speech delivered to Judicial Watch on April 20, Blanche attempted to showcase how the Justice Department is addressing allegations of voter fraud and weaponization in the federal government. The group’s new leader, Tom Fitton, has been critical of the Justice Department and FBI.
“While we may not always agree on every issue, let me say this clearly at the outset: Your mission is not in conflict with the Department of Justice I lead. It is a mission the Department of Justice must share,” Blanche said, according to his prepared remarks.
The speech, which was disclosed to Congress as part of Blanche’s required paperwork to be confirmed permanently in his role, illustrates how the nation’s top law enforcement officer sought to mend fences with a group that pushed 2020 election conspiracy theories and continues to argue the Trump administration is not going far enough.
“We hear you. We understand the concerns. And we are acting,” Blanche later added.
President of Judicial Watch Tom Fitton speaks during the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on February 24, 2024.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty Images/File
To show how frayed dynamics had become, Blanche read off a string of tweets by Fitton, in which he criticized the Justice Department for “hiding records on the Obama gang and deep state abuse” of Trump and for “protecting the Clintons.”
“The FBI and DOJ must be criminally investigated by someone other than the FBI and DOJ,” said another Fitton tweet read by Blanche.
“Tom, Tom, Tom, I thought we were boys!” Blanche said. “I like to think about our relationship as a family. Now, that family that works together and loves each other still gets into some spats on Thanksgiving after a few bottles of wine, but it does not take away from our love of one another or the common purpose that we share.”
Beyond complimenting Judicial Watch’s work to seek purges of voter rolls across the country, Blanche outlined the steps the Justice Department has taken to embody the spirit of the group – from appointing a national election integrity lead, to seizing ballots from the 2020 presidential election in Fulton County, Georgia, to their work before the Supreme Court.
“We are not simply monitoring, we are investigating,” Blanche said. “Illegal voting indictments have increased by 1600% in the first year of this administration compared to the prior year. That is not an accident. That is a change in posture.”
Georgia general election 2020 ballots are loaded by the FBI onto trucks at the Fulton County Election Hub on January 28 in Union City, Georgia.
Mike Stewart/AP
“In Fulton County, ballots from the 2020 general election have been secured and are the subject of ongoing litigation,” he added. “We are fighting in court to ensure those original ballots are preserved — not destroyed, not altered — because physical evidence matters.”
Blanche also addressed how his agency is seeking to address “political law fare” including dismissing certain criminal cases and establishing a weaponization working group, without getting into specifics.
On Wednesday, Fitton told CNN he believes — based on Blanche’s April speech — the Justice Department is attempting to be more transparent with the public.
“I think they need to be much more aggressive in dealing with the transparency issues. And my impression is that Blanche’s appearance at Judicial Watch is that they’re concerned about it and are trying to improve,” Fitton told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
Despite Blanche’s speech, the group continues to bring litigation against the administration.
Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department earlier this month seeking records relating to former special counsel Jack Smith.
“It’s always disappointing to have to pursue a FOIA lawsuit,” Fitton said, but added that it’s usually a part of the process.