Thursday’s committee vote to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to become attorney general has been postponed after the Justice Department failed to meet the demands of Republicans who want stronger assurances that President Trump’s anti-weaponization fund is really dead.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley announced the decision Wednesday night.
If the vote had gone ahead it was looking likely that Mr. Blanche would not have been approved by the panel.
All Democrats are expected to oppose him, and two Republican committee members, Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have been reluctant to back Mr. Blanche.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks during …
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The two Republicans want the Justice Department to revise a settlement agreement with Mr. Trump in his lawsuit against the IRS that created the anti-weaponization fund and tax-audit protections for the president and his family.
After intense criticism Mr. Blanche said the $1.776 billion fund was dead. But the two senators said they feared without changes to the settlement itself, Mr. Trump or other parties could later demand a court revive the idea.
Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis also want the Justice Department to revise the settlement to clarify that the terms of immunity provided for past tax malfeasance do not apply to anyone other than the parties to the lawsuit and do not prevent audits of future tax returns.
Mr. Blanche said this was the case during his confirmation hearing, but the senators want this made explicit.
DOJ has been negotiating with Mr. Cornyn’s staff for more than a week but Mr. Cornyn said Wednesday evening that the administration had yet to make any accommodations toward his request.
“They’ve stonewalled it,” he said. “They haven’t given me a reason.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears …
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Mr. Grassley’s office, in a statement, said the chairman is still working to secure a successful vote — whenever that can happen.
“Tomorrow’s markup is postponed as work continues to secure sufficient support in committee to favorably report Attorney General-nominee Todd Blanche, who is highly qualified for the job,” the office said.
Shortly before the postponement decision, the Justice Department had transmitted a new attempt to address Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis’ concerns, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
Mr. Blanche, who was confirmed as deputy attorney general last year, has been serving as acting attorney general since the ouster of Pam Bondi. He will remain in the acting role.
Mr. Blanche was on Capitol Hill meeting with senators on Wednesday. He was scheduled to meet with Mr. Cornyn, but the meeting was canceled.
Mr. Tillis said he understands Mr. Cornyn’s frustration, but he has had a different experience working with Mr. Blanche and his team.
“I thought they’ve been very, very accessible since the hearing,” he said. “I want to make it very clear: I don’t have a beef with the DOJ or with Blanche. They’re trying to get it done, but they’ve still got to get it done.”
Asked whether the holdup was getting Mr. Trump’s agreement for revising the settlement, Mr. Tillis said the president was not the only party to the agreement.
“There’s a circle of people that have to go through the loop, and I get that,” he said, suggesting the markup could be postponed until Tuesday or sometime next week if it’s just about getting the various parties’ approval.
The settlement was reached in Mr. Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit after an IRS contractor leaked his secret tax information during his first term.
Mr. Trump agreed to drop his monetary demand in exchange for the government setting up the anti-weaponization fund, which would pay out “victims” of the Biden Justice Department.
