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Vote hinges on written proof
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to become the next U.S. attorney general faced uncertainty as Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans held out on written assurances that the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead.
“the uncertain future of the "Anti-Weaponization Fund"”
ABC News said the issue for John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina remained “the uncertain future of the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’,” as the committee vote was set for Thursday.
Reuters and other coverage in the same reporting stream described Cornyn’s demand for proof in writing, with Cornyn telling reporters off the Senate floor on Monday, "What I want is the written document to say the same thing he did in his sworn testimony".
ABC News also reported that the settlement Blanche signed an addendum to would bar the government from continuing existing audits of tax returns filed by Trump, his family and their companies, a move that sparked accusations of self-dealing and a bipartisan uproar.
The dispute is tied to Trump’s May announcement of the $1.776 billion fund to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration, in exchange for Trump agreeing to drop his $10 billion suit against the IRS over unauthorized disclosure of his tax information, for which a former IRS contractor pleaded guilty in 2023.
Cornyn cancels meeting, demands redline
The nomination’s momentum looked bleak after John Cornyn canceled an eleventh-hour meeting with Blanche and blasted the Justice Department’s handling of concerns over a tax immunity deal with the president.
Courthouse News quoted Cornyn saying, "They know what they need to do, but they simply refuse to do it," and added that he had yet to see "a single piece of writing" responsive to his requests.
The Texas Tribune said Cornyn maintained his opposition to a nearly $1.8 billion settlement agreement the DOJ reached with Trump to pay out victims of alleged DOJ weaponization, and that Cornyn wanted Blanche to pen a written agreement nullifying the fund and assuring it would not be revived in lawsuits.
Courthouse News reported that Cornyn demanded during a confirmation hearing that Blanche submit a written declaration that the settlement and its provisions were dead, and it said the Justice Department had declined to give him a written declaration that the tax immunity deal was formally dead.
CNN reported that Cornyn told reporters he still had not received the written commitment he was demanding, and that as a result he was not prepared to vote yes, with Cornyn telling CNN, "Maybe they think they can roll me."
What’s at stake for the nomination
The stakes for Blanche’s confirmation were framed around whether the Senate Judiciary Committee could advance his nomination to the full chamber, with ABC News describing that he needed a key GOP vote and that Cornyn said, "That is correct."
“"That is correct."”
Courthouse News said the committee could not advance Blanche’s nomination to the full chamber without Cornyn’s support, and it described the vote as set for Thursday morning.
The Guardian reported that the DOJ did not provide written assurances to Cornyn that a $1.8bn slush fund was dead, and it said Cornyn would not support Blanche’s nomination until he received written confirmation that the fund was not moving ahead.
Roll Call said Cornyn had been given until 4 p.m. to work out modifications to the $1.8 billion “weaponization” compensation fund and that the Senate Judiciary Committee was still scheduled to vote Thursday morning.
CNN reported that survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein urged lawmakers, including Cornyn and Tillis, to vote against Blanche’s nomination to lead the Justice Department, with Dani Bensky telling reporters, "It’s not political. Just do the right thing."
