WASHINGTON — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to run the Justice Department hung in the balance Thursday as a handful of Senate Republicans vowed not to give him their votes until a nearly $1.8 billion so-called “weaponization” fund — formed as a result of President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS — is permanently scrapped.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have both opposed Blanche’s nomination in the Judiciary Committee until they receive confirmation in writing that the fund won’t be reconstituted — after Blanche testified that it was “dead” during a recent hearing.
“I thought we were pretty close to landing the plane last night. But this morning there’s been some more complications,” Cornyn told reporters Thursday morning.
“Apparently he’s getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House,” added the Texas Republican. “I don’t know who, but this doesn’t need to be this hard.”
“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you, we won’t,” Cornyn went on.
The $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund was originally announced in May as a form of compensation for individuals who were the victims of perceived political prosecutions, mainly under former President Joe Biden.
But Vice President JD Vance and others said even the former president’s son, Hunter Biden, would be eligible for a payout.
After the fund was panned by Republicans in Congress, Blanche backtracked before the Senate Judiciary Committee July 15, saying under oath: “It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund. The weaponization fund is dead.”
“It’s not like this is something new and different. And it causes me concern. If they don’t want to put it in writing, this is not something that is going to be enforceable in the long term,” Cornyn said Thursday.
“As you know, people can change their mind later on, whether it’s to reconstitute the weaponization fund or that what they claim the limits are of the release, that now they take a different position in a court.”
“It’s my intention to get Blanche approved,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told reporters after scrapping a planned Thursday panel vote on the nomination.
“Exactly when that can happen, I don’t know, but we’re going to work hard to get the differences worked out.”
