Todd Blanche is now the most powerful prosecutor in America. His former clients are still suing him for malpractice and forgery

Todd Blanche, now the top prosecutor in the United States, is still facing a lawsuit from former clients. Just a few years ago, he was working as a white-collar defense attorney at Cadwalader, Wickersham, & Taft. But former clients, the Kaplan twins, are accusing him of malpractice and forgery.

According to Vanity Fair, Brothers Adam and Daniel Kaplan were financial advisers facing fraud allegations. They hired Blanche, who told them they would not be paying standard Cadwalader rates. The Kaplans later claimed in a lawsuit that Blanche forged their signatures on an engagement letter and hid evidence that could have helped their defense against federal investigators.

The Securities and Exchange Commission accused the brothers of skimming about half a million dollars in extra fees from clients and draining another $4.5 million from their accounts through various schemes. Adam allegedly made $156,000 in unauthorized withdrawals from one client’s account, including $58,000 to a high-end watch retailer, $30,000 to a matchmaking service, and $68,000 to a luxury accessories dealer.

The malpractice case against Blanche is still ongoing as he holds the most powerful prosecutorial role in the country

The Kaplan twins took their case to state court, presenting themselves as victims of Cadwalader and Blanche. They hired malpractice specialist Daniel Abrams, who accused Cadwalader of withholding evidence that could have helped the brothers’ defense. The twins also claimed Blanche misled them about the law firm’s fees. Blanche and Cadwalader denied all the allegations.

In July 2023, a federal grand jury indicted the brothers on 16 counts of money laundering and wire fraud, and they were required to put up a pair of $2.5 million bonds. Adam was found guilty on all charges, while Daniel was acquitted on all but two money laundering counts. Their malpractice lawsuit against Blanche is still ongoing.

As acting attorney general, Blanche has been pushing prosecutions against the president’s political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center.  Trump himself made clear why Blanche was given the job when he introduced him at a law enforcement event. 

He has also defended his decision not to investigate those close to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. “It isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein,” Blanche told Fox News. Blanche’s decision to defend the president’s associates and downplay the need to investigate sex trafficking has raised serious concerns. His attempts to keep the Epstein files buried have already faced significant pushback, leaving him dealing with a growing legal challenge. 

His actions have also led to a shift in the Justice Department’s priorities, with less focus on white-collar crimes – the very type of crimes the Kaplan twins were convicted of. As the Kaplan twins await sentencing, an online campaign has been launched to improve their public image. 

A website and an encyclopedia-style page are highlighting their “support” of Harvard Hillel and their consulting work. Whether this campaign will make any difference, given their criminal convictions, remains to be seen.