By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday he could not commit to barring money from President Donald Trump's newly announced "weaponization" fund from going to people who assaulted police officers, including during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Blanche, in his first congressional testimony since ascending to the top of the Justice Department after Pam Bondi's firing last month, also told Democratic senators that he could
not commit to barring any of the nearly $1.8 billion from the settlement going to Trump campaign donors.
The Justice Department on Monday created a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization" to settle a lawsuit Trump had filed against his own government over the alleged mishandling of his tax records.
The pool of money will be controlled by Trump allies who can give payments to those who claim to have suffered "weaponization or lawfare" by the U.S. government.
In questioning, Blanche denied that Trump "set up" the settlement fund. He said the five-member settlement commission, four of whom he'll directly appoint, will act independently. And he argued that former President Barack Obama's Justice Department had overseen a similar fund, though that one was signed off by a federal judge.
"The president did not direct me to do anything," he said, later adding that the fund's money could be given to members of any political party and is not limited to January 6 defendants. The standard for who will get money, he said, is defined broadly by those who experienced "weaponization."
"What we’re talking about is nothing short of the sitting president of the United States looting from the Treasury for his own gain," said Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state. "Do you seriously think this arrangement is appropriate?"
Since Trump took office, the Justice Department has sought prosecutions against his enemies, dropped charges against his allies and seen the corps of the nation's top law enforcement department drop by 8,500 staff.
Blanche, whose appearance was scheduled to focus on the Justice Department 2027 budget, requested $41.2 billion in federal funding, a 13% increase over the previous year.
The over two-hour hearing grew tense at times as Democrats and Blanche sparred over the fund and department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. It also underscored near-unanimous efforts by Republicans and Blanche to defend the president's agenda.
Most Republican lawmakers heaped praise on Blanche for reversing what they saw as weak and vindictive law enforcement from the Biden administration and complemented Blanche for making Americans safer.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, though, asked Blanche how and to whom the funds would be doled out.
Blanche said the commission would act independently and issue quarterly reports to the attorney general, details of which will be provided to lawmakers. He said anyone could apply and be considered.
Collins said the money would come from a judgment fund used for other government settlements.
Blanche also said that the fund money could be given to Republican lawmakers whose phone records were seized by Jack Smith, a Justice Department special counsel who investigated Trump.
The acting attorney general also faced questions about his department's handling of the Epstein investigation. He said he would commit to not recommending a pardon for former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
(Reporting by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Editing by Michael Learmonth and Alistair Bell)
