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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has cleared a significant hurdle in his path to Senate confirmation by formally eliminating a disputed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” and restricting the scope of tax protections tied to President Donald Trump’s IRS settlement. The agreement was brokered after Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had blocked progress on his nomination.
A statement from Cornyn’s office confirmed Sunday that negotiations had produced the necessary concessions to move forward. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Blanche’s confirmation as early as Tuesday, removing one of the final obstacles to his ascension to the attorney general post.
In his statement, Blanche emphasized that his team had engaged extensively with senators and committee members over recent weeks to resolve their objections. He characterized the negotiations as constructive and announced that his office would issue formal guidance regarding the May IRS settlement.
Blanche’s directive officially nullified the May 18 order that had created the fund and stipulated that tax protections embedded in the settlement would apply only retroactively to prior filings, not to prospective tax submissions. The Department of Justice said it welcomed continued cooperation with congressional lawmakers.
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