Senate GOP to try again on Todd Blanche, Trump’s pick for attorney general
by Stephen Dinan, Mary McCue Bell · The Washington TimesThe Senate Judiciary Committee will try a do-over on voting to advance Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, with a committee vote scheduled for Tuesday.
Mr. Blanche was supposed to face a vote last Thursday, but it had to be postponed because several GOP senators were reluctant to back him for fear Mr. Trump’s $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund could be revived.
If Mr. Blanche can clear committee this time around, it should give the full Senate enough time to confirm him to the post before the chamber departs for its summer vacation.
Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley’s office said that’s the goal — and said it’s up to Mr. Trump to get Mr. Blanche over the finish line.
“Chairman Grassley wants Todd Blanche’s nomination to be successful. Noticing the markup gives more time for the White House to secure the votes for the president’s nominee,” the chairman’s spokesperson said.
Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, both Republican members of the committee, would not commit to backing Mr. Blanche until he secures changes to the settlement he struck with Mr. Trump ending the president’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
The settlement included immunity from prosecution for past tax malfeasance by Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization, and it included creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate victims of overzealous prosecution by the Biden administration.
After an outcry from both Democrats and Republicans, Mr. Blanche said the Justice Department would not follow through on the weaponization fund. He also said the grant of immunity is fairly limited.
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Mr. Trump on Saturday tried to turn the tables on Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis, threatening to revive the fund if the senators do not back Mr. Blanche. He also defended the fund.
The president said he’ll keep Mr. Blanche as acting attorney general and “push hard” to reconstitute a fund to compensate people “who have been so badly treated” by the Obama and Biden administrations.
“It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done,” he said on Truth Social.
Earlier, Mr. Trump defended the fund.
“I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined!” he said.
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Mr. Cornyn has demanded changes to the settlement to memorialize the limits to the immunity deal, and to officially eradicate the fund, preventing Mr. Trump or others from trying to revive it later.
Mr. Tillis said the president’s posts made clear the fund is still alive, “which is exactly why we are attempting to formally end it.”
Senators also said Mr. Blanche was willing to cooperate, but Mr. Trump has been the roadblock.
All Democrats on the committee are expected to oppose Mr. Blanche, so all Republicans will need to support him if he is to clear the panel.
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On Friday, Mr. Trump and his sons are appealing a court decision that blocked settlement of the IRS lawsuit and created the $1.776 billion fund.
The ruling, by Judge Kathleen Williams, had accused the president and his Justice Department of colluding on the settlement to avoid court scrutiny.
• Lindsey McPherson contributed to this report.
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Mary McCue Bell
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Stephen Dinan
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