Washington — Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Monday they will back Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, a move that came after negotiators reached an agreement to shut down the disputed “anti-weaponization” fund and narrow language tied to a broad tax immunity arrangement.
“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund,” the two GOP senators said in a joint statement. They added that the department had also put in writing, through a binding order, that the audit settlement applies only to the plaintiffs and does not extend beyond the parties named in the lawsuit — the defendants, the IRS and the Treasury Department — addressing concerns raised by several Republican colleagues.
Their endorsement removes a major obstacle for Blanche as he seeks confirmation to run the Justice Department. With Cornyn and Tillis now on board, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to send his attorney general nomination to the full Senate. The panel is set to convene Tuesday morning.
In recent weeks, objections from Cornyn and Tillis over the president’s May settlement with the IRS had put Blanche’s path in doubt. The Judiciary Committee had planned to vote last Thursday on whether to advance the nomination, but that meeting was postponed as opposition inside the committee persisted.
At the time, a committee spokesperson said the delay was necessary “as work continues to secure sufficient support in committee to favorably report Attorney General-nominee Todd Blanche, who is highly qualified for the job.”
Cornyn and Tillis, both of whom are set to leave the Senate early next year, said they had made their position clear from the beginning: they wanted a written commitment addressing the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund. Specifically, they sought language limiting audit protections to the parties covered by the settlement agreement and a legally binding end to the fund. The senators thanked Blanche and his team for working toward a deal and said they “look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.”
The $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund was established under a settlement Mr. Trump reached with the IRS after filing a civil lawsuit over the leak of his tax returns by a government contractor. The fund would have created a pathway for people who claimed they were targeted through federal government “weaponization” to seek compensation.
The settlement also included a separate provision giving Mr. Trump, his two eldest sons, the Trump Organization and related entities broad immunity from audits of tax returns.
The terms sparked swift pushback from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, who were concerned that people convicted for assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol could collect taxpayer-funded payments.
While Blanche told a House committee in June that the Justice Department was not moving forward with the “anti-weaponization” fund, his assertions failed to assuage senators’ concerns.
During his confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee last month, Cornyn pushed Blanche about the status of the fund and whether Mr. Trump himself had agreed in writing to kill it. The acting attorney general reiterated then that the program is “dead.”
Still, Cornyn and Tillis continued to negotiate with the Justice Department to address their concerns about the tax immunity and anti-weaponization program.
After Cornyn and Tillis’ opposition threatened to further stall Blanche’s confirmation, Mr. Trump delivered an ultimatum over the weekend, telling the GOP holdouts that if their blockade continued, he would keep Blanche on the job as acting attorney general and move to make the Justice Department fund a reality.
Tillis responded to the president’s threat on X on Saturday, saying despite the assurances from the administration, Mr. Trump “clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks.” The North Carolina Republican said it was “unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I consider qualified for the job, will not be confirmed because of this reversal,” while adding that he was hopeful the issue could be resolved by Tuesday’s committee meeting.
A day later, Blanche announced an order rescinding the Justice Department’s fund. In addition to revoking his May directive creating the program, Blanche clarified that the tax immunity extends only to Mr. Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization, and covers only tax returns that had already been filed.
In his announcement, Blanche cited his meetings with members of the Judiciary Committee in recent weeks and efforts to address the senators’ concerns.
“We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement,” Blanche said. “The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.”
The written settlement reached with Mr. Trump and his lawyers has not been modified.
