Deputy AG Todd Blanche takes over as acting librarian of Congress

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as of Monday is serving in two posts after being named the acting librarian of Congress, replacing Carla Hayden who was fired last week.

Blanche, who represented President Donald Trump in his criminal trial last year, is now one of a handful of people on the president's staff to serve multiple roles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a total of four high-level jobs amid a federal shakeup. 

The temporary appointment comes after the Trump administration ousted the head of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, over the weekend. Perlmutter was selected for the role during the first Trump administration in 2020. 

The White House has not stated why Perlmutter was removed on Saturday, or why Hayden was fired last week. But Hayden was hired by former President Barack Obama, and had a year-and-a-half left of her 10-year term when removed May 8.

Two other officials were also assigned positions at the library on Monday. Associate Deputy Attorney General Paul Perkins is now acting register of copyrights, and Blanche's deputy chief of staff Brian Nieves was appointed acting deputy librarian of Congress, per CBS News.

Blanche will now oversee the Library of Congress, which operates as Congress' chief research center and copyright office, and houses millions of books, films, audio recordings, photographs, manuscripts and other documents.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.