Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche faces Senate questioning over audit protection provision
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During a confirmation hearing, Senator John Cornyn and other Republicans questioned nominee Todd Blanche about a provision granting audit immunity and the status of a $1.8 billion fund linked to a Trump lawsuit against the IRS.
Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche was grilled by Senate Judiciary Committee members on Thursday about two contentious elements of a settlement stemming from President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Senator John Cornyn of Texas focused on a provision that would extend broad audit protection to the president, his family and businesses, and on the unclear status of a $1.8 billion fund intended for individuals the Trump administration claims were harmed by the legal system.
"Mr. Trump has not agreed in writing to eliminate the fund," Cornyn said, displaying a copy of the agreement behind him. He added that Blanche’s answers did not demonstrate that the fund was definitively dead and that it could be revived later.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina also expressed concerns about the same provisions. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor who previously served as Trump’s personal defense lawyer, responded to a question about his relationship with the president by stating, "I’m his lawyer — was his lawyer."
Committee Chairman Senator Charles Grassley defended Blanche, characterizing investigations of Trump during the current administration as attacks on the rule of law. In contrast, top Democrat Senator Richard Durbin described Blanche as a partisan actor and referenced a recent Justice Department case involving former FBI Director James Comey.
Blanche’s prior role as deputy attorney general included overseeing the review and release of government files related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, as well as interviewing Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.