Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinds $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund after Senate talks
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the rescission of a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund following negotiations with Republican senators, days before his confirmation vote.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday that a signed order rescinding the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund will be issued after weeks of discussions with Senate members. "My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions," Blanche posted on X, adding that the Department "always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress."
The order, attached to his post, states that the May 18, 2026 order establishing the fund is rescinded and shall have no force or effect, confirming that the fund no longer exists. Blanche’s announcement precedes the Senate Judiciary Committee’s scheduled vote on his nomination to become the permanent attorney general.
The fund originated from a settlement tied to a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the IRS, which also protected the Trump family from tax audits. Critics argued the fund could have paid participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had withheld support for Blanche until the fund was cancelled. Tillis, who will not seek re-election, and Cornyn, who lost his seat to a Trump-backed challenger, said other senators shared their concerns, though they could not vote on the nomination until it reached the full Senate.
Blanche had previously testified that the fund was defunct, but Trump had threatened to revive it shortly before the rescission.