Trump’s former lawyer advances in attorney general bid after deal with Republican holdouts
US senators voted along party lines on Tuesday to advance US President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer as attorney general after he formally scrapped a controversial US$1.8 billion fund created through the administration’s settlement of a lawsuit brought by the president. Todd Blanche, who became deputy attorney general after Trump took office, has been serving as acting attorney general…
In a Senate Judiciary Committee vote that followed contentious debate, US President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, secured his confirmation as Acting Attorney General on Tuesday. Blanche, who has served as a deputy attorney general since Trump's inauguration, faced opposition from two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who demanded that he dismantle a proposed $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponisation Fund" and clarify that the settlement would not protect Trump and his family from future IRS audits.
Blanche ultimately satisfied Republican concerns by issuing a written order rescinding the fund and affirming the settlement would not shield Trump from future IRS audits. Democrats remained skeptical of Blanche's assurances, questioning his independence given his close ties to Trump. Blanche's nomination will now proceed to the full Senate, where Democrats are expected to unite against him.
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