Blanche Formally Terminates Anti-Weaponization Fund, Clearing Path for Senate Confirmation Vote

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday rescinding the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” removing a key obstacle that had delayed his confirmation as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.

The order, dated August 2, 2026, states that the May 18 directive establishing the fund “is rescinded and shall have no force or effect.” Blanche noted that the department had repeatedly informed Congress and represented in court that the fund would not proceed. No board members had been appointed, no funds transferred from the Treasury, no claims process created, and no payments issued under the program.

The fund originated as part of a settlement resolving President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leaking of his tax returns. It was intended to compensate individuals who claimed they had been targeted by politically motivated prosecutions or other forms of government “weaponization.” Critics across the political spectrum described it as a potential slush fund, with particular concern that it could benefit defendants from the January 6, 2021, Capitol events. Trump had publicly defended the concept even as Blanche maintained it was not moving forward.

Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had refused to support advancing Blanche’s nomination without a formal written termination of the fund. They also sought clearer limits on related IRS audit protections granted in the settlement, restricting them to existing claims involving Trump, his family, and associated entities rather than future filings. A Cornyn spokeswoman confirmed that an agreement had been reached with the Justice Department covering both issues. Tillis’s office did not immediately comment.

Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal defense attorney and was elevated to acting attorney general after the departure of Pam Bondi, described the order as the product of “good faith discussions” with committee members. “My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” he said in a statement accompanying the order.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had postponed a planned vote last week after Cornyn and Tillis raised objections. With the fund formally terminated, the committee is now scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination on Tuesday, August 4. If advanced, the full Senate could consider confirmation before the chamber’s upcoming recess.The episode highlighted tensions within Republican ranks over the fund and the broader settlement. While many GOP senators supported Blanche’s nomination, the two holdouts insisted on binding documentation rather than verbal assurances. The formal rescission appears to resolve the immediate impasse, positioning Blanche for a committee vote that could determine whether he becomes the confirmed attorney general.