Blanche Withdraws Controversial Weaponization Fund Ahead of Senate Vote
Acting Attorney General's eleventh-hour move clarifies tax immunity for Trump and family, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche withdrew an order for a $1.8 billion weaponization fund.
This agreement emerged from a deal with Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had threatened to block Blanche’s nomination.
Blanche confirmed the news of the deal on social media, stating his team had addressed concerns with committee members and Senators.
The decision follows assurances that concerns about a $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund and a sweeping IRS audit release for Trump and his family have been addressed.
The fund was to be run by five commissioners, four appointed by the attorney general, and was not required to disclose payouts or recipients, with no restrictions on who could apply aside from Trump and his sons.
A federal judge previously described the lawsuit as a 'bad-faith' suit designed to engineer a beneficial result for Trump.
Blanche's statement clarifies the order protecting the Trump family from tax investigations applies only to the "named parties in the lawsuit," meaning Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization.
The assurances are not worth the paper they’re written on and do not prevent ongoing attempts to give the president unauthorized immunity from tax audits or stop the president from trying to bring back the fund.
However, Democrats and several experts claim the compromise between Todd Blanche and two Republican senators is weak, making promises Donald Trump can easily reverse.
Brandon DeBot claims the assurances are not worth the paper they’re written on and do not prevent ongoing attempts to give the president unauthorized immunity from tax audits or stop the president from trying to bring back the fund.
Richard Blumenthal claims the tax immunity deal is still unlimited in terms of tax control liability, and the slush fund is still alive and well so far as Donald Trump is concerned.
Jamie Raskin claims Blanche’s announcement does nothing to prevent the justice department and Trump from creating the weaponization fund under a different name.
Raskin further claims these hollow words are an affront to the American people, Congress, and the courts, clearly designed to lull Senators Cornyn and Tillis into a false sense that their legitimate concerns have been addressed while leaving Blanche’s corrupt scheme fully intact.
Adam Schiff claims this supposed ‘deal’ doesn’t prevent payouts to violent insurrectionists in the future, nor does it prevent the administration from bringing the slush fund back from the dead next week or using DOJ’s Judgment Fund for the same illicit purpose.
Sheldon Whitehouse claims it does not look like they have actually pinned down the result they claim to have achieved, while Virginia Canter states nothing changes the terms of the actual settlement agreement, which cannot be modified without all parties’ consent.
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche is scheduled for Tuesday.