GOP Senators Back Blanche After DOJ Scraps $1.8 Billion Fund

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche secured the support of two key Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, for his permanent nomination to lead the Justice Department after the department formally rescinded a controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." This development ended an impasse that had threatened to block Blanche's confirmation.

Cornyn and Tillis had previously stated they would not back Blanche's bid for the permanent post without official confirmation that the proposed fund, intended to compensate allies of former President Donald Trump who believed they were unfairly prosecuted, was definitively eliminated. The fund had generated bipartisan criticism due to concerns that individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack could be eligible for payments. Blanche issued a written order late Sunday, following days of negotiations with the senators, to confirm the fund's termination. The order stated "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund."

In a joint statement, Senators Cornyn (R-Texas) and Tillis (R-North Carolina) expressed gratitude to Blanche and his staff for their cooperation and indicated their intention to vote to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both senators are set to leave Capitol Hill at the end of their current terms in January. Blanche had previously asserted that the Justice Department was abandoning plans for the fund, but skeptical lawmakers sought written assurance to prevent its potential revival, especially given former President Trump's continued defense of the concept.

The "Anti-Weaponization Fund" was proposed as part of a settlement for Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The settlement's announcement had already sparked significant debate. The Justice Department's formal rescission of the fund, confirmed by Blanche's order posted on social media, aims to provide the necessary clarity and finality that the senators required. This resolution allows Blanche's nomination process to move forward in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to consider his advancement on Tuesday. The resolution of this specific issue removes a major obstacle to Blanche's confirmation as the permanent head of the Justice Department.