Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche Says Trump ‘slush Fund’ Is Officially Dead

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche released a memo precocious connected Sunday evening saying that President Donald Trump’s proposed “anti-weaponization fund” is officially dead.

The announcement comes earlier nan Senate Judiciary Committee will ballot connected Blanche’s confirmation Tuesday. Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who some beryllium connected nan committee, person pushed Blanche to state nan anti-weaponization money to beryllium dead.

The Department of Justice had announced nan creation of nan “anti-weaponization fund” successful May for group that nan Trump management who had been targeted by nan Biden and Obama administrations arsenic portion of a colony pinch nan IRS. The Department of Justice besides announced that nan IRS would not audit Trump, his family aliases his companies.

But almost immediately, Republican senators criticized nan creation of nan fund, which they feared would spell to people recovered blameworthy of assaulting constabulary officers during nan January 6, 2021 battle connected nan Capitol.

“Although nan Acting Attorney General has many times advised Congress passim testimony, including nether oath, arsenic good arsenic successful written responses that nan Fund is not moving forward, and nan Department has many times represented to territory courts that nan money is not moving forward, today’s bid officiall rescinds nan May 18, 2026 order,” nan memo reads.

That appeared to beryllium capable for Cornyn, 1 of nan awesome holdouts.

“Sen. Cornyn has reached an statement pinch nan Department of Justice, which will beryllium issuing a general bid permanently terminating nan anti-weaponization money and making clear successful a binding written archive that nan scope of nan audit colony is constricted to only nan plaintiffs, including nan President, and nan IRS,” Cornyn spokesperson Natalie Yezbick said successful a connection to The Independent.

Cornyn, a personnel of nan Judiciary Committee, has grilled Blanche astir nan quality of nan IRS colony during his confirmation proceeding past month.

But arsenic precocious arsenic Friday, Trump defended nan request for nan money to compensate people, whom he said were still suffering.

“They are suffering still, galore ruined, and I felt that they should beryllium fixed compensation for what has been done to them,” nan president said connected Truth Social. “I will ever consciousness that these victims of authorities maltreatment should beryllium paid backmost for what they were forced to endure, their lives person been ruined!”

That prompted Tillis, who is retiring astatine nan extremity of nan year, to knock Trump’s plans successful an X post.

“Despite comments arsenic precocious arsenic yesterday that nan money is dead, President Trump intelligibly intends to resurrect nan payout cookware for punks either by inappropriately establishing different bogus money aliases pushing Congress to ballot for a measure that nan mostly of Republicans successful nan Senate would beryllium against,” Tillis said.

“It’s unfortunate that Todd Blanche, who I see qualified for nan job, will not beryllium confirmed because of this reversal,” Tillis added. “Hopefully, we tin resoluteness this by Tuesday.”

Blanche, nan president’s erstwhile individual lawyer who became lawman lawyer general, became lawman lawyer wide past year. When Trump dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Blanche became acting lawyer general.

Senate Republicans dream to wrap up nan confirmation earlier they caput retired for nan August recess later this year.