Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday there is no deal with the Trump administration on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination ahead of a scheduled Thursday committee vote, as a dispute over a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund continues to block the Texas Republican’s support.
“Fake news alert: there is no ‘deal’ on Blanche nom. They know what they have to do,” Cornyn posted on X, signaling that the Department of Justice has not met his written demands to clarify the settlement language.
Cornyn, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina have emerged as the critical swing votes in Blanche’s confirmation. With the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier this month, a single Republican “no” vote would deadlock the 12-member committee and effectively sink the nomination, preventing it from reaching the full Senate floor.
The central issue is a $1.776 billion compensation fund that Trump announced in May as part of a settlement with the IRS over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax records. Cornyn and Tillis are demanding that Trump and the Department of Justice formally amend the settlement agreement to explicitly state that the fund is dead and cannot be resurrected in the future.
During Blanche's confirmation hearing on July 15, the acting attorney general testified that the weaponization fund would not move forward. However, Cornyn has pointed out that the original settlement document still technically includes the fund. “What I want is the written document to say the same thing he did in his sworn testimony,” Cornyn told reporters, noting that Blanche pledged the fund was “dead” and that audit immunity would not extend beyond the parties to the lawsuit.
Blanche acknowledged during the hearing that the Department of Justice would be open to codifying assurances about the fund in writing. Yet as of Tuesday afternoon, Cornyn said the DOJ has not made sufficient commitments to change the settlement language. “I don’t know why they’re so reluctant to do that when he’s already sworn to it,” Cornyn said.
The settlement also included a pledge from the IRS that it would no longer pursue Trump, his family, or his businesses over unpaid taxes related to returns filed before the deal’s effective date. That provision has also drawn scrutiny from the Republican senators.
Tillis had set a separate condition for his vote: a meeting with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, who have criticized Blanche’s handling of cases related to the late convicted sex offender. Blanche met with Epstein survivors on July 17, but at least one survivor called the meeting “insufficient,” leaving Tillis’s position uncertain.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination on July 30. Blanche, a former Trump defense attorney, was confirmed as deputy attorney general in March 2025 and has served as acting attorney general since then.
Sources
- The Hill — Cornyn’s statement that there is no deal on Blanche’s AG nomination and details of his demands on the anti-weaponization fund settlement language
- ABC News — Cornyn and Tillis as swing votes, the $1.776 billion fund details, Blanche’s testimony, and the IRS settlement provisions
- Politico — Confirmation that the Judiciary Committee vote could be postponed and details on Cornyn’s opposition to the deal
- New York Times — Single Republican “no” vote would deadlock the committee and sink the nomination
