By The Washington Times (Politics) | Created at 2026-07-30 00:26:13 | Updated at 2026-08-08 14:07:47
1 week ago
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to postpone a scheduled Thursday vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general as two Republicans on the panel are not yet prepared to support him.
Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina want Mr. Blanche to amend a settlement agreement the Justice Department reached with President Trump in his lawsuit against the IRS for leaking his tax returns.
They are seeking revisions that would nullify an “anti-weaponization” fund and clarify the extent of the tax audit protection the settlement provides to Mr. Trump and members of his family.
The senators said Wednesday evening that the requested revisions have not yet been made. They expect Thursday’s Judiciary Committee vote on Mr. Blanche’s nomination will be postponed until there is a resolution.
“I think it’s probably going to get delayed,” Mr. Tillis said.
Mr. Conryn likewise said Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley was considering postponing the markup.
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Grassley’s office for comment.
Around the same time the senators spoke with reporters about the potential postponement, the Justice Department transmitted a new response attempting to address Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis’ concerns, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
The Judiciary Committee cannot advance Mr. Blanche’s nomination without the two Republican senators’ votes since all Democrats are expected to vote in opposition.
If the committee proceeds with the markup without a resolution on the settlement, Mr. Tillis said he also would not show up, thus denying the panel a quorum.
“I don’t want the chairman to have a failed markup,” he said.
The settlement agreement the senators want to revise directed the Justice Department to establish a $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund to provide payments to claimants who believe they were unjustly targeted by the Biden Justice Department.
Senators in both parties opposed the creation of the fund, and the Justice Department agreed to back off the idea. Mr. Blanche has testified before Congress that he will not move forward with the fund.
But Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis fear the existing settlement language could be used to revive the fund and want a revision that officially kills it.
The two senators also want to add language to the settlement clarifying the extent of tax audit immunity it provides to Mr. Trump and his family.
Mr. Blanche told Mr. Cornyn during his confirmation hearing that the audit protection only covers past tax returns and does not apply to anyone other than the parties to the lawsuit.
Mr. Cornyn wants the settlement language to make that explicit.
The Justice Department has been negotiating with his staff for over a week, but Mr. Cornyn said Wednesday evening that the administration had yet to make any accommodations towards his request.
“They’ve stonewalled it,” he said. “They haven’t given me a reason.”
Mr. Blanche was on Capitol Hill meeting with senators on Wednesday. He was scheduled to meet with Mr. Cornyn, but the meeting was canceled because the Justice Department did not send the senator proposed settlement revisions as promised.
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.
