Todd Blanche’s bid for Senate confirmation as attorney general faces serious doubt after Republican Senator John Cornyn announced Wednesday he is not prepared to vote for the nomination, citing unresolved concerns over a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” tied to President Trump’s allies.
Cornyn, a Texas Republican, canceled a scheduled meeting with Blanche ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote set for Thursday. The senator told reporters he has not received written assurances addressing his specific concerns about the fund, which would need to be formally rescinded in writing before he would support advancing the nomination.
Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal defense lawyer before his second term and is currently serving as acting attorney general, needs the backing of every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance his nomination. Republicans hold only a one-vote margin on the committee following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, leaving no room for defection.
The $1.8 billion fund emerged from a settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The agreement also included provisions that could give Trump and his associates broad immunity from tax audits unavailable to ordinary taxpayers. At his confirmation hearing in mid-July, Blanche initially told lawmakers he could not commit to barring money from the fund from going to people who assaulted police officers, including during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He later told lawmakers the fund was not moving forward.
Cornyn said Blanche submitted a written proposal Wednesday that would “put the fund to bed,” but the senator told reporters he had not yet received a document responsive to his concerns. “I haven’t seen a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I’ve requested,” Cornyn said.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, another key Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has also expressed concerns about Blanche’s role in creating the fund and has withheld his support. Both senators’ votes are essential for the nomination to clear committee. Cornyn indicated there was still time to resolve the dispute before Thursday’s vote, saying “there’s plenty of time to resolve this,” though Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had set a 4 p.m. deadline Wednesday for deciding whether to postpone the committee vote.
Trump acknowledged the difficulty during a Wednesday appearance, telling reporters he had expected Blanche’s confirmation to be routine. “Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump said, referring to Cornyn’s recent primary runoff loss to another Republican candidate endorsed by the president.
If Blanche fails to secure every Republican vote in committee, his nomination could stall at that stage. Even if he advances to the full Senate, he would face similarly tight margins, as Republicans hold a narrow majority overall and Democrats oppose the nomination.
Sources
- Reuters — Cornyn’s announcement that he is not prepared to support Blanche, the cancellation of their meeting, details of the $1.8 billion fund and tax immunity agreement, and Blanche’s written proposal
- NPR — Republicans’ one-vote margin on the Senate Judiciary Committee following Graham’s death and Blanche’s need for all Republican votes
- Court House News — Details on Tillis withholding support and the narrow committee margin
- Local News Live — GOP’s razor-thin margin in the committee following Lindsey Graham’s death
- CNN — Additional context on thin margins in both committee and full Senate
- The Hill — Tillis’s concerns about Blanche’s role in the anti-weaponization fund
