‘There is no Fund’: GOP holdouts back Blanche after DOJ scraps proposed $1.8 billion slush fund

Two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation, have now backed his nomination. This resolution comes after a dispute over a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate supporters of former President Donald Trump. The GOP senators' endorsement allows the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance Blanche's nomination on Tuesday.

The Justice Department and lawmakers had reached an agreement to formally withdraw the proposal for the "Anti-Weaponization Fund," which was intended to settle a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Blanche's written order, issued on Sunday night, confirmed that the fund "is dead beyond any doubt." The senators had initially demanded a written commitment to limit the scope of a separate agreement that provided broad immunity for Trump and his family from tax audits.

The Justice Department clarified that the tax immunity agreement only applies retroactively to claims that were pending when the settlement was reached and does not protect the president from future tax examinations. The deal covers only the parties involved in the lawsuit, which include Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization.

Democrats expressed concerns that the resolution doesn't prevent future payouts to individuals who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. They also pointed out that the tax-immunity deal still leaves open the possibility of Trump avoiding taxes on the $2.3 billion he earned in 2022. Blanche, who is familiar to Trump from his defense work in the president's criminal cases, has been leading the Justice Department since taking over from Pam Bondi in April.

In the role, he has been pushing forward Trump's priorities and accelerating investigations into perceived adversaries.