Overview
- The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Todd Blanche’s nomination after he sent a one‑page DOJ order saying the proposed $1.8 billion “Anti‑Weaponization Fund” was rescinded, a step that satisfied Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis and cleared a committee vote Tuesday.
- A separate tax‑audit immunity in the May settlement remains in place for President Trump, his two oldest sons, and the Trump Organization and could shield past returns from IRS scrutiny with potential exposure estimates reported in the tens of millions to as much as $100 million.
- Blanche faces a razor‑thin roll call on the full Senate floor because Sen. Susan Collins has pledged to oppose him and Republicans lack margin with Sen. Mitch McConnell absent, leaving Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski as the decisive swing votes.
- A July 30 private Faith Office call that was leaked and reported this week shows Blanche pledging to pursue pro‑life priorities and to target mail‑order abortion drugs, a disclosure that helped drive public GOP concern and Collins’s opposition.
- Legal experts and a federal judge have questioned whether the settlement was a bona fide adversarial deal and argued that Blanche’s unilateral rescission may not legally erase the original terms, creating active litigation and appeal risks that could revive disputes over both the fund and the audit protections.