A Path to Confirmation
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has cleared a significant hurdle in his bid to be confirmed as the permanent head of the Department of Justice. On Sunday night, Blanche formally rescinded the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund”—a controversial initiative championed by President Donald Trump—and issued a binding order clarifying the scope of an IRS audit settlement involving the President and his family.
The move secured the support of Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whom had been key holdouts on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a joint statement on Monday, the senators confirmed they are now prepared to vote to advance Blanche’s nomination. The Committee is scheduled to hold its vote on Tuesday morning.
The Fund and the Audit Settlement
The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” had been a major point of contention, with critics and some Republican lawmakers fearing it could be used to provide financial compensation to Jan. 6 rioters or other political allies of the President. By rescinding the fund, Blanche has addressed the primary concern that had stalled his nomination in committee.
Additionally, Blanche issued a document clarifying that a settlement regarding IRS audits of Trump’s tax returns is strictly limited to the plaintiffs in the case—the President and his son—and the IRS. This addresses fears that the settlement could grant broad, permanent tax immunity to Trump’s affiliated business organizations or family members not named in the original $10 billion lawsuit.
Political Stakes
The confirmation process has been fraught with political tension. Both Cornyn and Tillis, who are leaving the Senate at the end of their terms, had faced intense pressure from the Trump administration to support the nominee. The President had even floated the possibility of withdrawing Blanche’s nomination, a move that would have been largely performative, as Blanche could continue to serve as acting Attorney General for up to 210 days under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Despite the breakthrough, the nomination is not without opposition. Democrats have sharply criticized the revised IRS settlement, with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) arguing that the changes leave significant loopholes. Critics contend that while the specific fund is gone, the administration could still find other avenues to compensate supporters, and that the IRS shield remains problematic. Furthermore, other Republicans, such as Sen. Lisa Murkowski, have yet to publicly commit their support, leaving little margin for error in the tightly divided Senate.