WASHINGTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination to fill his current role permanently received a major boost as two key Republican senators said they had struck a deal over a settlement that gave President Donald Trump tax immunity and announced an "anti-weaponization" fund that could have benefited Jan. 6 rioters.
Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who both serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and are slated to leave the Senate in January, said in a joint statement Aug. 3 they were "pleased" by new statements from Blanche and the Justice Department on the tax immunity and fund, and are ready to support his attorney general bid.
"We want to express our gratitude to Mr. Blanche and his staff
for working with us on this, and we look forward to voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon," they said.
Blanche posted on social media Aug. 2 a written document stating that a May 18 order creating the fund "is rescinded." Blanche had previously said in testimony to Congress that the DOJ wouldn't moving forward with the fund, which garnered bipartisan backlash from members of Congress concerned that taxpayer funds would go to Trump supporters who were convicted of assaulting police during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
In a separate written document shared in the same Aug. 2 post, Blanche's office said the tax benefits for the Trump family members and business will only apply retroactively to previous tax years, and won't benefit anyone beyond those Trump associates.
Republicans hold a 12-10 majority on the committee. A previous committee vote on Blanche's nomination was delayed after Cornyn and Tillis voiced misgivings about supporting him. Blanche now appears poised to succeed in a new vote scheduled for Aug. 4, setting him up for a vote from the full Senate.
The DOJ's settlement, which closed a $10 billion lawsuit the Trumps brought against the IRS after a contractor leaked their tax information, has not only faced congressional scrutiny. It is also being litigated in the courts.
Florida federal Judge Kathleen M. Williams ruled July 13 that the president controls the DOJ, and so the agreement, which was reached without judicial oversight, was essentially a form of self-dealing. She prohibited the Trumps from using or referring to the deal in any official proceedings.
Still, it's unclear whether and how that order constrains the DOJ's and IRS' private dealings with the president.
The Trumps filed an appeal against the ruling July 31.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Todd Blanche's AG bid gets major boost as GOP senators end holdout
