The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed its confirmation vote for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on July 29, 2026. Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are withholding their critical support, demanding written guarantees from the Justice Department to dismantle a controversial $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund and narrow Donald Trump's IRS audit immunity. Blanche, Trump's former defense lawyer, needs every Republican committee vote to advance.
Blanche confirmation vote postponement
- ▪Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley postponed the confirmation vote for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche scheduled for July 30, 2026
- ▪Todd Blanche needs the vote of every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance his nomination to the full Senate
Trump-IRS settlement dispute
- ▪A federal judge in Florida ruled that Donald Trump's IRS lawsuit was brought in bad faith and ordered sanctions against several individuals, including Todd Blanche
- ▪The Trump-IRS settlement agreement provided Donald Trump, his family, and affiliated businesses with immunity from audits on tax returns filed prior to the deal
- ▪The Trump-IRS settlement emerged from a $10 billion lawsuit Donald Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service over leaked tax returns
Republican senator demands
- ▪Senator Thom Tillis demanded that the Department of Justice formally eliminate the anti-weaponization fund and narrow the scope of Donald Trump's IRS audit protections
- ▪Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are withholding support for Todd Blanche until the Department of Justice provides written proposals modifying the Trump-IRS settlement
- ▪Senator John Cornyn canceled a scheduled meeting with Todd Blanche on July 29, 2026, stating the Department of Justice had not provided responsive written documents
Blanche Justice Department record
- ▪Under Todd Blanche's leadership, the Department of Justice indicted former FBI Director James Comey over an Instagram photo of seashells
- ▪Todd Blanche served as the No. 2 official at the Department of Justice before becoming Acting Attorney General after Donald Trump fired Pam Bondi in April 2026
Anti-weaponization fund controversy
- ▪A federal judge in Virginia indefinitely blocked the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund following a lawsuit by a former January 6 prosecutor
- ▪The Trump-IRS settlement established a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund to compensate individuals claiming government abuse, which critics feared could fund January 6, 2021, rioters
- ▪Todd Blanche announced in June 2026 that the Department of Justice was dropping the anti-weaponization fund, but he has declined to provide this commitment in writing
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