Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Blanche Nomination for Attorney General

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines on Tuesday to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general, clearing a major procedural hurdle after weeks of internal Republican negotiations over a controversial Justice Department fund.

The party-line vote sends President Donald Trump’s nominee to the full Senate for consideration. Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April after the departure of Pam Bondi, is a former federal prosecutor who previously acted as one of Trump’s personal defense attorneys in multiple criminal cases.

The committee’s action followed a deal reached late Sunday with two Republican holdouts, Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The senators had declined to support advancing the nomination unless the Justice Department provided written confirmation that it would not proceed with a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” That fund had been referenced in the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service concerning the leaking of his tax returns. Critics argued the fund could have been used to compensate political allies who claimed they were targeted by prior prosecutions, including individuals connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol events.

In response, Blanche issued a formal order rescinding the May 18 directive that established the fund. The order stated that the fund would have no force or effect, noting that no members had been appointed, no funds transferred, no claims process created, and no payments made. The agreement also clarified that related tax audit protections in the IRS settlement apply only to claims open at the time of the agreement and cover only specified parties, including Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization, without extending to future filings.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley described the resolution of the issue as common sense and praised the formal steps taken. Democratic members of the committee, led by ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin, opposed the nomination, arguing that the order could be reversed after confirmation and expressing broader concerns about Blanche’s independence given his prior role as Trump’s personal lawyer and the department’s pursuit of investigations involving the president’s political opponents.

Blanche’s nomination had faced delays in recent weeks as Cornyn and Tillis sought binding assurances rather than verbal commitments that the fund was defunct. With the written order in place, the two senators joined the rest of the committee’s Republicans in voting to advance the nomination.

The full Senate must still confirm Blanche. With Democrats expected to oppose the nomination uniformly, Republican leaders will need to hold nearly all of their members to secure the necessary majority. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated an intention to move forward with the nomination in the coming days, potentially before the chamber’s scheduled recess, though the precise timing depends on procedural steps including the filing of cloture.If confirmed, Blanche would become the Senate-confirmed head of the Justice Department, continuing in the role he has held in an acting capacity while overseeing the administration’s enforcement priorities. The committee vote marks the most significant progress to date in a confirmation process marked by scrutiny of both the nominee’s background and the specific terms of the IRS-related settlement.