GOP senators say they will back Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, ending impasse over fund for Trump allies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation to lead the Justice Department said Monday that they will support his nomination, ending an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump.The endorsement from GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis paves the way for the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance Blanche's nomination on Tuesday after the Justice Department and lawmakers reached a deal to formally rescind the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund" proposed to settle Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.Cornyn and Tillis had refused to back Blanche's bid for the permanent post without official confirmation killing the fund meant to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Blanche's written order, issued late Sunday, came after the days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.“We want to express our gratitude to Mr.

Blanche and his staff for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon," Cornyn, of Texas, and Tillis, of North Carolina, said in a statement.DOJ order says ‘beyond any doubt’ that fund is deadBlanche has repeatedly said that the Justice Department was scrapping plans for the fund, which sparked bipartisan outcry over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the U.S. 6, 2021, could be considered for payments. But skeptical lawmakers said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.In his order posted on social media late Sunday, Blanche wrote that the department was confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order said.

“This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”Cornyn and Tillis had also pressed the Justice Department to limit the scope of a separate piece of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from t… WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators who had threatened to block Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation to lead the Justice Department said Monday that they will support his nomination, ending an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump.The endorsement from Republican Sens. The order, issued by Blanche late Sunday, came after days of negotiations between the Justice Department and the Republican senators who are leaving Capitol Hill when their terms end in January.“We want to express our gratitude to Mr.

But skeptical lawmakers had said they were concerned that could be revived without a commitment in writing, especially because Trump has continued to defend the idea.Blanche wrote in his order late Sunday that the department was confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order says. Under the deal, the Justice Department clarifi… Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department say they'll now vote to advance his nomination.

WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP senators say they will back Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, ending impasse over fund for Trump allies. WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has issued a formal order terminating President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate his political allies, a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who were blocking his nomination to become attorney general.A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn, one of the senators holding up Blanche’s nomination, confirmed the deal, which comes ahead of a Tuesday confirmation vote for Blanche’s nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The other GOP senator, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, did not have immediate comment.Blanche said at a June hearing that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund to compensate those who believe they were unfairly prosecuted, as he faced bipartisan outrage over the possibility that violent rioters who attacked police at the U.S. But Cornyn and Tillis, both members of the Judiciary panel, have said they wanted to see the promise in writing before they endorsed Blanche's nomination — especially as Trump continued to express support for the idea.In a statement late Sunday, Blanche said the order 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.DOJ order says ‘beyond any doubt’ that fund is deadIn a statement accompanying the order, the Justice Department said that “although the Acting Attorney General has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.”Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, “No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” the order says.