(Washington, D.C.) A major step forward for the Trump administration’s Justice Department agenda—after months of controversy over whether Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche could be confirmed to lead the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12 to 10 to advance Blanche’s nomination, sending it to the full Senate for a likely floor vote later this week. The vote was along party lines, but it came only after Blanche cleared a critical last-minute hurdle and won over two Republican holdouts who had threatened to block confirmation.
Those senators—John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina—made clear their objections focused on the settlement of President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the president’s leaked tax return claims. As part of that dispute, Democrats and critics warned of a so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” reportedly aimed at compensating people who believed they were targeted for political reasons.
Blanche’s breakthrough was a written, formal statement issued Sunday night. He ordered that, “beyond any doubt,” there is “no fund.” The Justice Department said no members were appointed, no money was transferred, no claims process was established, and no claims were paid. In plain terms, the administration says the alleged financial mechanism was not real in operation—and that it is being rescinded properly.
Cornyn and Tillis argued for written assurances—“common sense,” as the committee chair put it—so that lawmakers and the public could see exactly what is being promised, and what is not.
Still, Democrats say Blanche’s order doesn’t go far enough.
But Republicans contend the issue has been put to bed. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the concerns raised by the senators were addressed and formally rescinded, while the scope of releases was clarified.
Beyond the fund dispute, another issue briefly complicated the path: whether a settlement also offers immunity from future IRS audits for Trump and his family. The Justice Department’s written clarification was narrow. It said audit protections apply only to claims open at the time of the settlement and do not cover future filings, and it limits coverage to the parties that actually brought the lawsuit—Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization.
Now the question turns to timing and votes. If all Democrats oppose Blanche, he can only afford to lose two Republicans—made more delicate by the reported absence of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell due to hospitalization after a fall. If McConnell does not return before the vote, the margin tightens further.
Supporters say Blanche brings the kind of legal experience the Justice Department needs—especially a prosecutor’s mind and a steadier hand. Opponents, meanwhile, continue to question Blanche’s independence from the White House.
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