Overview
- The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12‑10 along party lines to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination after Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis accepted written DOJ orders they said rescinded the nearly $1.8 billion anti‑weaponization fund.
- Blanche issued two one‑page orders that also narrowed tax‑audit protections so they apply only to past tax returns for the president, his sons, and the family business according to the Justice Department.
- Legal scholars and Democratic senators say the orders may be unenforceable because the original settlement can be changed only with the written agreement of all parties, leaving the fund vulnerable to revival or court challenges.
- The nomination now moves to a full Senate vote but remains uncertain because several Republican senators have not publicly committed to supporting Blanche and Republicans hold a slim margin.
- The dispute grew out of a May settlement between the president and the IRS over leaked tax returns, and critics point to Blanche’s former role as the president’s lawyer and recent DOJ personnel decisions as reasons to doubt his independence.