Overview
- President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday that he will keep Todd Blanche as acting attorney general if the Senate does not confirm him and will “push hard” to pass an Anti‑Weaponization Bill to revive the $1.7–$1.8 billion payout plan.
- Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are withholding support for Blanche’s nomination and require written, enforceable language that the DOJ has abandoned the fund and narrowed tax‑immunity provisions before they will advance his confirmation.
- The Justice Department has told courts it abandoned the fund and provided draft language saying Blanche’s May 18 order is rescinded, but Cornyn and Tillis say the offered text does not meet their demands and negotiations continue.
- Federal judges, including U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, have criticized and limited the original settlement that created the fund and related tax‑immunity language, and appeals and further court filings remain pending.
- Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April and, under federal vacancy rules, could remain in place while a nomination is pending, a prospect that critics say deepens concerns about DOJ independence and political influence.