WASHINGTON—Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he formally rescinded a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that became an impasse for two holdout Republican senators blocking his confirmation to the permanent position.
In a one-page order late Sunday, Blanche wrote that the fund “is rescinded and shall have no force or effect.” A separate document released simultaneously by the Justice Department appeared to address another demand of the senators, that the government narrow the scope of tax audit protections for the president,
WASHINGTON—Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he formally rescinded a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that became an impasse for two holdout Republican senators blocking his confirmation to the permanent position.
In a one-page order late Sunday, Blanche wrote that the fund “is rescinded and shall have no force or effect.” A separate document released simultaneously by the Justice Department appeared to address another demand of the senators, that the government narrow the scope of tax audit protections for the president, his family and his businesses.
The $1.8 billion fund faced intense blowback after it was announced in May, including from other Republicans. Blanche in the following weeks said the Justice Department was abandoning the fund, but he hadn’t formally committed to it in writing until Sunday’s release.
The office of holdout Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) said he had reached an agreement in which the Justice Department committed to formally terminate the fund and make clear “in a binding written document” that the scope of the audit protections was limited.
The announcement comes ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche scheduled for Tuesday.
The fund, which could have been used to pay Trump allies, and the audit protections were a product of a controversial settlement between Trump and his own administration. That pact ended a lawsuit filed by the president against the Internal Revenue Service for a contractor’s illegal leak of his tax returns.
It isn’t clear whether the Justice Department’s new commitments are legally binding. The text of the deal creating the fund said that it could be changed only with agreement of all of the parties who signed it, including the IRS, the Justice Department and Trump in his personal capacity.
Neither the White House nor Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), the other key GOP holdout, immediately responded to requests for comment.
Trump threatened on Saturday to push for legislation to compensate his allies if Cornyn and Tillis didn’t support Blanche. In recent days, the president also suggested he could temporarily withdraw Blanche’s nomination and reissue it after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office at the start of 2027.
Blanche in a social-media post said the written settlement revisions came after “good faith discussions.”
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche said Sunday night.
Write to Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com and Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website