US deputy attorney general tapped to serve as acting librarian of Congress

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By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has been appointed to serve as the acting librarian of Congress, a U.S. Justice Department spokesman confirmed on Monday, after President Donald Trump recently fired Carla Hayden.

The White House announced that Hayden was being fired as librarian of Congress on May 9, citing in part her advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

Hayden, who was the first woman and first African American in the role, headed an office that has overall management responsibility for the library and sets out policy on its programs and activities. Democratic President Barack Obama appointed her in 2016 to a 10-year term in the role that needed Senate confirmation.

Blanche is the latest Trump administration official to be asked to serve in multiple roles at the same time.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for instance, is also serving as the acting archivist, as well as Trump’s national security adviser and the acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, meanwhile, is also serving as acting director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

FBI Director Kash Patel also briefly served two roles, leading both the FBI and the ATF.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)