Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, two key holdouts on Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination, now say they will vote to advance him to the full Senate.
The outgoing lawmakers, who have repeatedly clashed with Trump over the past year, said their concerns were resolved after “successful negotiation of a legally enforceable document” that formally ends the $1.8bn “anti‑weaponization fund” and makes clear that Trump and his family will not receive indefinite protection from audits of future tax filings. Both issues had been deal‑breakers for Cornyn and Tillis.
Concerns Resolved
In the document Blanche released on Sunday, the acting attorney general did say that the sweeping immunity offered to the president and his family for their past conduct does not change.
“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund. Additionally, the department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share,” the pair wrote in a statement. “We look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate judiciary committee soon.”
Upcoming Vote
The panel is set to vote on Blanche's nomination on Tuesday.
