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Washington — Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is on hold as Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas leverages his vote in exchange for an agreement in writing to formally kill the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization fund.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote on advancing Blanche’s nomination, but Cornyn, a pivotal vote on the panel, told reporters, “I’m not prepared to vote yes” without an agreement.
Late Wednesday, the committee announced it had delayed a Thursday morning hearing to consider Blanche’s nomination. A committee spokesperson said the hearing was “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.”
In a statement Wednesday night, a Justice Department spokesperson told CBS News that it “has been in regular communication with Committee members for weeks, and we look forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any concerns.”
Opposition from Cornyn could sink the nomination of Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general.
GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, another member of the committee, said he shared Cornyn’s concerns, but appeared more hopeful about a resolution. The two met with Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, hours before Thursday’s vote was canceled.
Cornyn has also demanded modifications to restrict the scope of the Justice Department agreement with President Trump that granted tax audit immunity to the president and his family for prior tax returns.
The audit protection and the nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay people who claim they were politically persecuted were part of a settlement to resolve Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department.
“All I want them to do is to confirm what he said in his sworn testimony before the Judiciary Committee, with regard not only to the weaponization fund, but also who is protected from future audits and what agencies of the federal government are bound by the release,” Cornyn said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s pretty simple, and we’ve actually sent them a redline strikeout.”
Earlier in the day, Cornyn said he hadn’t seen “a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I’ve requested.”
A Justice Department official said the department provided a “written proposal” to Cornyn’s staff Tuesday.
“We look forward to further discussion around any outstanding concerns,” the official said.
But Cornyn said the Justice Department’s proposal was “not responsive” to some of his concerns.
The Justice Department transmitted a new response to Cornyn and Tillis that “addresses their concerns,” a source familiar with the matter said later Wednesday.
The “anti-weaponization” fund was met with fierce resistance from members on both sides of the aisle after its unveiling in May, leading the Justice Department to back away from it.
At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Blanche reiterated that the fund was “dead.” Cornyn noted that the settlement states that any changes to it must be agreed upon in writing by all parties involved.
“Has there been a written agreement of the parties to modify the settlement fund?” he asked.
“No, the settlement fund is just not moving forward,” Blanche responded. “There’s no modification. It never started. No money went from the Treasury to any other account.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump suggested Cornyn’s opposition stemmed from his endorsement of his primary opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton defeated Cornyn in the May primary.
“Maybe John Cornyn is upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Mr. Trump said.
In response to Mr. Trump, Cornyn said: “That’s a convenient excuse, and it happens to be untrue.”
