Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) reached a deal with the Justice Department that puts Todd Blanche back on track to be confirmed as President Donald Trump’s attorney general before the August recess.
The agreement, announced by Cornyn in a Sunday night statement, rescinds the president’s “anti-weaponization” fund in writing and restates testimony from Blanche’s confirmation hearing, during which he told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that Trump’s immunity from tax audits is limited in scope.
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The two concessions were at the center of a May settlement by the Justice Department that sparked outrage on Capitol Hill. Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), both Judiciary Committee members, refused to vote to advance Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the administration would abide by his testimony.
“Sen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,” said Cornyn spokeswoman Natalie Yezbick.
Blanche also released a Sunday night letter stating that the fund would not be moving forward. It was controversial, in part, because Republicans feared the administration would use taxpayer money to pay out Jan. 6 defendants. The president confirmed that suspicion in recent days, telling reporters earlier on Sunday that he might revive the fund if Blanche is not confirmed.
“If they don’t approve Todd, I’ll put it back on the table,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it. A lot of big supporters of Trump like it.”
The deal clears the way for Blanche’s nomination to be advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which was forced to postpone a vote earlier in the week but put a new meeting on the calendar for Tuesday.
It also represents a dramatic revival in Blanche’s prospects of becoming attorney general. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Cornyn and Tillis for standing in the way of his confirmation and initially seemed comfortable waiting the two senators out. Both are retiring at the end of the year, and the president could, in theory, keep Blanche on as attorney general in an acting capacity, as he’s done since April.
The Senate is slated to go on recess at the end of this week, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has expressed interest in holding a floor vote if Blanche’s nomination successfully advances on Tuesday.
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The announcement follows a Thursday meeting between Blanche, Cornyn, and Tillis. Blanche alluded to that meeting and others held with Senate GOP leadership in the announcement.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” he said on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement. The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.”
