Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche caves to GOP pressure, dismantles $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund
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In a troubling concession to Republican obstructionism, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the rescission of a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, following closed-door negotiations with Republican senators just days before his confirmation vote.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed on Sunday that he will sign an order to rescind the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, a move that comes after weeks of backroom discussions with Senate members, particularly Republicans intent on undermining efforts to hold the powerful accountable. '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, attempting to frame the capitulation as 'productive engagement' with 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The order, attached to his post, states that the May 18, 2026 order establishing the fund is rescinded and shall have no force or effect, confirming that the fund—originally intended to prevent the abuse of power and ensure accountability—no longer exists. Blanche’s announcement comes just before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s scheduled vote on his nomination as permanent attorney general, raising questions about the timing and motivations behind the move.
The fund was created from a settlement linked to a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the IRS, which outrageously also shielded the Trump family from tax audits. Critics have long warned that the fund could have been manipulated to reward participants in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whom have shown unwavering loyalty to Trump, withheld support for Blanche until the fund was dismantled. Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, and Cornyn, who lost his seat to a Trump-backed challenger, claimed other senators shared their concerns, though they could not vote until the nomination reached the full Senate.
Blanche had previously testified that the fund was already defunct, but Trump’s looming threat to revive it forced this last-minute surrender to right-wing demands, further eroding public trust in the impartiality of the Justice Department.