Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reached a deal Sunday with Republican holdouts who endangered his chances of being confirmed as the next attorney general.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina demanded that the Department of Justice (DOJ) formally end a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and rewrite language in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) settlement that restricted President Donald Trump and his family from tax audits. After his confirmation process remained up in the air, the DOJ confirmed they accepted the senatorsâ demands in writing.
âMy team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,â Blanche wrote on X. âWe have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement. The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.â
Cornynâs spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday that a deal was reached.
âSen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,â Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled its markup for Thursday to advance Blancheâs nomination, though Cornyn and Tillis argued the DOJ had not agreed to their demands about the IRS settlement. Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman, cancelled the vote after Cornyn argued he had not reached a deal with Blanche.
Blanche intended to meet with the Texas senator Wednesday, though the meeting was abruptly cancelled. Grassley gave Cornyn until 4:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday to decide on how he would vote.
Grassley rescheduled the vote for Tuesday.
Cornyn and Tillis wanted the DOJ to provide them written assurances they would meet their demands. The DOJ told the DCNF Wednesday that they sent Cornyn a written proposal, though Cornyn said it did not meet his demands and sent it back with notes. Cornyn reportedly sent the DOJ a counter-proposal Wednesday.
Tillis told the DCNF and other reporters Wednesday he was âprepared to supportâ Blanche if his demands on the weaponization fund and audits were met.
âThe key there is exactly what Iâve said. That this agreement, the 1776 fund, needs to go away, and the language with respect to audits needs to be very tightly tailored,â Tillis said. âIt doesnât include anybody but the parties of the agreement, and it can only be retroactive. You do that, and Iâm prepared to support.â
Trumpâs attorneys said Friday they would appeal a judgeâs ruling casting doubt on the legitimacy of the fund, which could have threatened Blancheâs nomination. The president said he was willing to postpone Blancheâs nomination until after Cornyn and Tillis left office, though Cornyn warned other Republican senators shared their concerns.
âPOTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,â Cornyn said Thursday.
Tillis demanded that Blanche meet with alleged victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in exchange for his support. Blanche complied with the demand and met with several of the alleged victims at DOJ headquarters, which appeared to satisfy Tillis.
Cornyn and Tillis have broken with Trump as they are both leaving Congress at the end of their terms. Cornyn lost his primary to Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who Trump endorsed during their runoff in May. Tillis announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger over the senatorâs vote against the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
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