The potential confirmation of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche hit a snag on Wednesday, just a day before a significant Senate vote.
This situation continues the troubled narrative around Mr. Blanche since he was chosen to succeed former Attorney General Pam Bondi, primarily revolving around issues involving the Department of Justice (DOJ) and two prominent Republicans who hold the key to his confirmation on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) are insisting that the Justice Department provide clear written proposals to adjust the settlement agreement made earlier this year between the IRS and President Donald Trump along with his family.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., expressed optimism that a deal could be struck, allowing for Blanche’s confirmation, and was anticipating a vital floor vote the following week.
“At this point, I think it’s more of a matter between the White House and Sens. Cornyn and Tillis,” Thune commented. “But I encourage them to work things out so we can proceed with the markup tomorrow and be ready for Todd Blanche on the floor.”
The Justice Department was given a deadline of 4 p.m. Wednesday to comply with the lawmakers’ requests, but the path to Blanche’s confirmation became increasingly complicated.
Without assurances from Cornyn or Tillis regarding their votes, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) decided to delay the hearing to a later date.
They are focusing on the now-defunct approximate $2 billion anti-weaponization fund and the president’s audit immunity. Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed frustration over the fund, particularly concerning the possibility of it benefiting individuals linked to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
The confusion surrounding President Trump’s audit waiver is also notable. When Blanche announced the settlement earlier this year, it stated that the IRS would be prohibited from auditing Trump or his associates as part of that agreement.
Cornyn has remained particularly resistant until his conditions are addressed. Recently, he has leveraged his position to negotiate with the Trump administration.
One argument he has put forth involves the explicit termination of audit language in previous settlement agreements. Cornyn, who was unwittingly ousted by Trump supporter Ken Paxton and will exit the Senate at the year’s end, had arranged a meeting with Blanche on Wednesday morning.
However, the meeting was called off, and Blanche continued his Senate tour that day, finishing with Republican Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso. He opted not to comment to reporters on his way out.
“From the start, we anticipated a written proposal to address the releases signed in the tax dispute with President Trump and his organization,” Cornyn stated.
“We need to align the actual documents with what Todd Blanche testified under oath as acting attorney general to the president,” he continued. “Two meetings were set but have been canceled due to the lack of written documentation.”
When questioned about the delay in Blanche’s confirmation in the Senate, President Trump claimed he was capable of handling the matter and mentioned that he had heard the process was “progressing very well.”
“All I can say is that Todd Blanche is an exceptional person. I thought he was excellent—almost routine,” Trump shared with reporters in the Oval Office. “You won’t find someone better. I’m not sure if John Cornyn is upset with me for not supporting him, but I haven’t heard of any issues.”
Tillis expressed disagreement with both the Justice Department and Blanche.
“They’re trying to expedite the process, but there are still obstacles to overcome,” Tillis remarked.
He elaborated that there might be more complexity in passing such a written proposal than is readily apparent. For instance, he mentioned that the settlement was likely signed by the president’s lawyers rather than Trump himself.
“So there’s a chain of people involved,” he explained. “I get that, but hopefully, we can resolve this, or if we can have him report on Tuesday, if they have a markup schedule, and if we can obtain the language, I would support it.”
