Blanche faces Senate grilling over Trump tax settlement as attorney general vote looms

The roughly $1.8 billion fund, part of a settlement that resolved Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns, has drawn sharp bipartisan criticism. A federal judge previously blasted the Justice Department over the settlement, saying it was an attempt to "earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law." Tax experts have described the tax immunity granted to Trump under the deal as highly unusual.

The $1.8 billion settlement

Pressed on the controversy, Blanche said the fund is not moving forward. But during a break in the hearing, Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told reporters that Blanche's answers did not assuage his concerns. "The argument was that the weaponisation fund was dead," Cornyn said. "What he confirmed is that it's not. I continue to have some concerns." The underlying IRS settlement has not been formally rescinded, and a portion that shields Trump, his family and his businesses from IRS audits of past tax returns remains in place.

Blanche also drew pointed questions from his own party's members. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cornyn have both raised concerns about the settlement. A single Republican "no" vote on the committee could kill Blanche's nomination, a risk made real by Republicans' razor-thin majority in the Senate.

Bipartisan pushback

Democrats appear unified in opposition. Senate Judiciary Committee top Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois said Blanche has "disregarded that call and erased that line, placing loyalty to President Trump above all else." A letter signed by about 1,200 former Department of Justice employees, organized by the nonprofit Justice Connection, urged the Senate to reject the nomination, alleging Blanche fired career attorneys, agents and analysts for "improper, unlawful reasons." Blanche, in an interview with a local Alaska TV station, dismissed the letter by comparing it to the Justice Department's roughly 40,000-person workforce.

Trump pressed the case for his nominee on social media the night before the hearing, writing that Blanche is "a great lawyer, always very fair, and every Republican Senator should vote to CONFIRM Todd Blanche, ASAP!" Trump said in May that Blanche is "doing a great job" leading the Justice Department. Senate Judiciary Committee top Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa welcomed the nomination, calling Blanche "well qualified" and saying he has "shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country." The National Association of Police Organizations voiced support, saying "he has built a strong partnership with the law enforcement community."

Blanche previously won Senate confirmation early in Trump's second term to serve as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department. He was Trump's personal lawyer before joining the department and was elevated to acting attorney general after Pam Bondi was pushed out. Under his leadership, the Justice Department has announced indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and the Southern Poverty Law Center, and it opened an investigation centered on lawsuits E. Jean Carroll brought and won against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation.

From personal lawyer to attorney general

Lawmakers also questioned Blanche about the roll-out of the Epstein files, adding another topic to a confirmation hearing that had already been dominated by the tax settlement fight. Blanche said Trump's lawyers had no plans to go to court to enforce the settlement, and he defended the tax portion of the deal as standard practice in IRS settlements.

Blanche's path forward remains narrow. Cornyn said he would wait to make a decision until he has to make a vote, leaving the nomination hanging on whether any Senate Republican is willing to break with the president on a candidate who has served as his personal attorney and now leads the agency investigating his political enemies.