GOP Holdouts Cornyn, Tillis Agree To Back Todd Blanche For Attorney General

Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis announced Monday that they will support President Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general, removing a major obstacle to his confirmation after the Justice Department formally scrapped its controversial $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund.

The two Republicans had threatened to block Blanche despite his support from President Trump. Their objections centered on the fund and provisions of the administration’s settlement with the IRS. Cornyn and Tillis demanded legally binding written assurances rather than relying on Blanche’s previous testimony that the fund was effectively “dead.”

Blanche issued a formal order Sunday night rescinding the fund. The Justice Department also clarified that provisions concerning past IRS audits were limited to the plaintiffs involved in the underlying lawsuit and would not prevent the IRS from conducting future audits.

Cornyn and Tillis said the written orders addressed their concerns and thanked Blanche and his staff for working with them. Both senators said they now intend to vote to advance his nomination when the Senate Judiciary Committee meets Tuesday.

The reversal represents a major breakthrough for Blanche after days of uncertainty surrounding his nomination. President Trump had fiercely defended his pick and warned that he was prepared to keep Blanche running the Justice Department as acting attorney general if Republican holdouts prevented his confirmation.

Trump had also continued defending the idea behind the anti-weaponization fund, arguing that Americans whose lives were damaged by politically motivated government investigations deserved compensation. The president has indicated that he could pursue separate legislation to compensate people he believes were victims of government weaponization even though the Justice Department fund has now been terminated.

With Cornyn and Tillis now on board, Blanche’s nomination appears positioned to clear the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee and move to the full Senate. Their support eliminates the most immediate Republican resistance and puts President Trump significantly closer to securing permanent Senate confirmation for his choice to lead the Justice Department.