Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has withdrawn an order that established the “anti-weaponization” fund, clearing the path for his confirmation before a crucial Senate committee vote on Tuesday. Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had delayed Blanche’s nomination, seeking assurances that the Justice Department would not proceed with the criticized fund, which they labeled as a slush fund for Trump’s supporters.
Blanche shared a copy of the order, announcing the rescission of the fund, on Sunday. The Republican senators had also raised objections to a Justice Department directive preventing the Internal Revenue Service from conducting audits on past tax claims for Trump, his family, and his businesses for filings before May 18.
According to Natalie Yezbick, a spokesperson for Cornyn, an agreement has been reached with the Department of Justice to permanently terminate the anti-weaponization fund and clarify in a written document that the audit settlement is restricted to specific parties, including the president and the IRS.
Blanche’s order specified that the tax order was retroactive. Despite previous statements by Trump declaring the demise of the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, he later indicated that Blanche would remain in his acting role if not confirmed by the Senate and expressed intent to urge Congress to formalize the proposed fund.
Tillis, noting that Blanche’s confirmation was in doubt following Trump’s change in stance, expressed hope for a resolution by the time of the upcoming Senate judiciary committee nomination vote. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general since April, succeeding Pam Bondi.
The now-revoked fund was established as part of a legal resolution between Trump and the Justice Department to settle his lawsuit against the IRS. Proponents argued that the fund aimed to compensate individuals unfairly targeted by the government, while critics raised concerns about potential misuse of taxpayer money to benefit Trump associates involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.