Aug 2 (Reuters) – Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinded an order establishing the “anti-weaponization” fund, paving the way for his confirmation ahead of a key Senate committee vote on Tuesday, after Republican senators stalled his nomination over concerns about the fund.
Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had held up Blanche’s attorney general nomination while seeking written assurances that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund, which critics have derided as a slush fund for Trump’s supporters.
“The Department of Justice today announced that the Acting Attorney General rescinded the May 18, 2026 Order that established “The Anti-Weaponization Fund,” according to a copy of the order Blanche by Blanche on X on Sunday.
The Republican senators had also objected to a Justice Department order that barred the Inland Revenue Service from pursuing any audits into past tax claims for Trump, his relatives and his companies for any tax returns filed before May 18.
“Sen. Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponization fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,” US media outlets quoted Natalie Yezbick, a spokesperson for Cornyn, as saying.
Blanche’s order stated that the tax order “applied by its terms only retroactively.”
“The Acting Attorney General stands by all of his July 15, 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee testimony, including answers to questions asked by Senator Cornyn related to the scope and applicability of the May 19, 2026 Order,” the DOJ statement shared by Blanche said, referring to the tax audit order.
Trump had said as recently as last week that the $1.8 “anti-weaponization” fund was dead.
However, the president said over the weekend that Blanche would stay in his current acting role if not confirmed by the Senate and added that he would also push Congress to codify the proposed “anti-weaponization” fund.
Tillis, whose term ends in January, wrote on Saturday that Blanche would not be confirmed because of Trump’s reversal, although he hoped that the matter could be resolved by Tuesday, when the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a nomination vote.
Blanche has served as acting attorney general since April, when Trump fired Pam Bondi.
The now-rescinded fund was created as part of a legal settlement between Trump and the U.S. Justice Department, to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over allegedly mishandling his tax records.
Supporters say the fund was intended to compensate individuals they argue were unfairly targeted by the federal government, while critics said it could direct taxpayer money to Trump allies, including those who assaulted police officers during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia and Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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