Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have reached a deal with the Department of Justice, agreeing to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for official confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Following weeks of negotiations and threats from the president to withdraw his nomination over the contested anti-weaponization fund, the DOJ and Blanche officially rescinded the fund, stating that it will have “no force or effect.”
“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 and Tillis wrote in a statement released Monday morning.
The committee vote is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The senators made sure their opposition to previous negotiations was heard, ultimately forcing Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to cancel his committee’s confirmation vote last week.
“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund,” the senators’ statement continued.
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They confirmed that the DOJ had, after weeks of negotiating, met all their concerns, and they added that they are “pleased” with the formal order terminating the fund.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions. We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement,” Blanche wrote Sunday night, confirming the negotiations.
The signed order states that the fund is not operative and that “no members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid.” The order went on to state any lawsuits regarding the existence of the fund are “frivolous,” and the claims have been dismissed.
The $1.8 billion fund was set up from President Donald Trump’s settlement with the IRS after it unlawfully published his tax returns. Trump and Republicans are eager to confirm Blanche as the nation’s top law enforcement official as crime remains a growing concern and a talking point for the midterm elections.
Trump has not fully backed down on the fund, however. “If they don’t approve Todd, I put it back on the table,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening.
Trump has said he wants to provide financial support to Americans unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. He denies claims made by Cornyn, Tillis, and others that the fund would benefit his friends and allies.
“This fund was not for me. This fund was for those people … that have been abused,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
If Blanche’s nomination advances out of the committee Tuesday, the Senate will likely vote on his confirmation Saturday.
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