Senate Panel Clears Blanche for Attorney General Vote

Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are poised to move forward on the nomination of Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, for attorney general after two outgoing GOP senators secured a formal end to a controversial compensation fund. The panel is scheduled to vote on the nomination Tuesday morning following a delay last week over concerns that the so-called anti-weaponization fund could direct taxpayer money to Trump supporters, including individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol attack.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had blocked swift approval of Blanche unless the Justice Department permanently scrapped the fund, which the Trump administration first proposed in May. The measure was intended to provide payments to people who claimed they faced unfair federal prosecution, but critics warned it risked rewarding those pardoned by Trump on his return to office. Both senators, who are retiring in January, issued a statement Monday confirming they were satisfied after the department issued a written order terminating the program.

Blanche, who represented Trump in the New York hush-money case, was confirmed last year as deputy attorney general. He was elevated to the top job after Trump dismissed former Attorney General Pam Bondi in April, reportedly over her reluctance to aggressively target the president’s political opponents. The nomination fight has underscored ongoing tensions inside the Republican conference about the scope of the Justice Department’s authority and the use of public resources to settle scores from Trump’s legal battles.

The fund’s potential revival had drawn bipartisan criticism, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioning whether it would effectively compensate participants in the Capitol riot. Blanche had assured senators that the department was abandoning the idea, but Cornyn and Tillis insisted on a formal written commitment before lifting their hold. Trump had publicly defended the fund and suggested it could be resurrected if Blanche’s nomination stalled.

With the dispute resolved, the committee vote is expected to clear the way for a full Senate confirmation, where Republicans hold a 53-seat majority. Blanche’s confirmation would place a longtime Trump defender at the head of the Justice Department at a time when the administration has signaled aggressive use of federal law enforcement against perceived adversaries. The episode illustrates how even narrow procedural hurdles can shape the early personnel decisions of the second Trump term.