Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has reached a deal with the Department of Justice that clears the way for the Senate Judiciary Committee to move forward with Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche.
Cornyn confirmed Monday that the agreement addresses the concerns that prompted him to hold up Blanche's nomination for several days. In exchange for his support, the Justice Department agreed to formally eliminate a controversial "anti-weaponization fund" and clarify the limits of a separate tax audit settlement involving President Donald Trump.
The dispute stemmed from a settlement between the DOJ and Trump after the president sued over the leak of his tax returns. The agreement created a $1.8 billion fund for people alleging they were victims of politically motivated prosecutions and extended protections from IRS audits to Trump, members of his family and certain business associates.
Cornyn had spent the past week pressing the department for written assurances that the fund would be permanently scrapped and that the audit protections would apply only to the parties covered by the settlement. Blanche had previously made those commitments during testimony, but Cornyn wanted them put into a binding written order.
Late Sunday, Blanche issued an order rescinding the anti-weaponization fund and spelling out the limits of the audit protections. Shortly afterward, Cornyn's office confirmed the two sides had reached an agreement.
"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," Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick said.
The standoff had delayed Blanche's nomination after Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said they would not support advancing it without changes to the settlement. Their opposition forced the Senate Judiciary Committee to postpone a vote that had been scheduled for last week.
As negotiations played out, Trump publicly questioned Cornyn's motives, suggesting the senator's recent primary loss after Trump's endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was driving the dispute. Cornyn repeatedly rejected that claim, saying his objections were based on the settlement itself and noting that other Republican senators shared his concerns.
Trump also defended the anti-weaponization fund and called for Congress to revive it through legislation, underscoring why Cornyn wanted the DOJ to formally terminate the program in writing.
With the agreement now in place, Republicans appear to have resolved the last major obstacle to Blanche's nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning, and Blanche — who is serving as acting attorney general and previously represented Trump as his personal attorney — is expected to advance if Republicans remain united.
