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Acting AG scraps anti-weaponization fund after GOP senators threaten to block his nomination
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinded a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund Sunday following GOP senators’ threats to block his confirmation over the program.
WASHINGTON —
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally ended President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund Sunday after weeks of discussions with senators and committee members.
This order came after what Blanche is calling ‘good faith discussions’ with committee members and senators over the past few weeks to address their concerns.
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Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had opposed Blanche’s nomination, demanding written guarantees that the fund would be terminated. A spokeswoman for Cornyn confirmed the agreement, which comes ahead of Blanche’s confirmation vote scheduled for Tuesday.
The program would have compensated individuals allegedly wronged by the Justice Department, including those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
On Sunday, Trump defended the fund, saying, “This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered. A lot of people like it. If they don’t approve Todd, I’d put it back on the table. A lot of people like it.”
Blanche’s order also limits the settlement’s audit immunity provision, which previously barred the government from prosecuting Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization over past and current tax examinations.
The margin for Blanche’s confirmation remains tight. If one Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee votes against him, it could jeopardize his chances of becoming attorney general.
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