Todd Blanche Plays Coy On Reflecting Pool, Fauci And Weaponization Fund As He Makes First Appearance As Attorney General

President Donald Trump has said that nan destiny of an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for his governmental friends is up to his recently sworn-in Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Now that nan president’s erstwhile criminal defense lawyer is leading nan Department of Justice, Blanche was bombarded pinch a flurry of questions from reporters astatine his first property convention arsenic nan nation’s apical rule enforcement charismatic connected Wednesday.

Naturally, nan destiny of that money was 1 of them, and while Blanche insisted that nan money is so “dead” — he still near unfastened nan anticipation of multimillion-dollar payouts to nan president’s aggrieved allies, including Jan. 6 rioters, done different means.

Blanche and nan Trump management maintained that nan payout money was dormant during a protracted confirmation battle to guarantee he received capable Republican votes from a razor-thin Senate majority. But nan early of what critics are calling a “slush fund” for Trump’s friends is among respective captious questions facing Blanche arsenic he leads a dramatically transformed Justice Department successful performance pinch nan White House.

Blanche was besides questioned Wednesday astir nan fates of nan politically charged prosecutions of Dr. Anthony Fauci and a 67-year-old erstwhile Olympian who was accused by nan president of vandalizing nan Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool — contempt Washington, D.C.’s apical charismatic and management officials admitting location is nary grounds to prosecute him.

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that nan White House has pressed nan Justice Department to revisit a lawsuit against David Hearn contempt a stunning tribunal archive from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to disregard charges against him

“I don’t cognize what you mean by nan White House has asked america to do that,” Blanche told a newsman Wednesday.

“I don’t person an update connected that. I deliberation there’s been… there’s been a batch of comments and source-based comments astir what, if anything, is happening pinch that case,” he said. “I don’t person an update, no.”

Last week, House Republicans referred Fauci to nan Justice Department alleging criminal contempt of Congress aft nan infectious illness master invoked his Fifth Amendment correct against testifying to a sheet investigating nan origins of COVID-19.

“Any update I would expect to travel from this department, if location is yet a determination made, won’t beryllium immoderate clip soon,” Blanche said Wednesday.

Blanche’s closeness to Trump has been a monolithic sticking constituent successful his confirmation battle, 1 that Democratic members of Congress opportunity could consequence further compromising nan Justice Department’s “independence” by shielding nan president from ineligible threats while taking his guidance erstwhile it comes to prosecuting governmental enemies.

Hours aft Blanche was sworn into agency arsenic lawyer general, nan Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a stunning memo arguing that nan president could declare executive privilege complete connection betwixt him and his “private advisers” if those conversations were considered confidential and related to his statesmanlike “decision making.”

Democrats who urged their Republican counterparts to cull Blanche’s information opportunity nan memo could shield Trump from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, authorities contracts and whether members of nan Trump family enriched themselves done his administration.

“This dubious description of executive privilege to screen Trump’s extracurricular advisors is simply a clear onslaught connected Congress’s oversight powers, and creates an situation ripe for corruption that protects only nan president and his friends,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, nan apical Democrat connected nan House Oversight Committee.

In a last-ditch effort to triumph complete skeptical Republicans, Blanche conceded that nan alleged slush money is “rescinded and shall person nary unit aliases effect.”

But he reiterated nan position of an immunity proviso that shields Trump from taxation investigations, a woody that he testified to members of Congress isn’t going anywhere. That was capable for Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, who said they were “pleased” pinch Blanche’s statement and voted to corroborate him.

Despite nan Justice Department halting plans for nan fund, Trump has continued to definitive his support for it. After his caller AG was sworn in, he told reporters that it was “up to” Blanche arsenic to whether it lives on, contempt his promise to members of Congress that it was dead.

“I’m not judge really I tin further opportunity that nan Anti-Weaponization Fund doesn't exist, aliases would usage nan connection ‘dead,’ but if anyone has immoderate ideas,” Blanche told reporters Wednesday.

“I get that this is simply a ace nosy communicative to not fto die, but I don’t cognize what other to say,” he said.

He besides said that nan Justice Department and nan White House would support authorities to formally guarantee nary specified money exists, but nan management has ne'er needed a dedicated money to settee claims against nan government.

January 6 rioters and different aggrieved friends of nan president person continued to record claims done nan Federal Tort Claims Act, which taps into nan government’s imperishable Judgment Fund that is utilized to salary tribunal judgments and different settlements involving nan national government.

“Yes, nan president feels very powerfully — arsenic do I — that location were group who were victims of a Department of Justice that was perfectly weaponized, and he feels very powerfully that he would want to make them whole, arsenic do I,” Blanche said. “But it won’t beryllium done nan Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was ne'er group up.”