Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved significantly closer to Senate confirmation after reaching an agreement with Republican holdouts who had threatened to block his nomination over a $1.8 billion «anti-weaponization fund».
Blanche issued a formal order terminating the fund, which had been created to compensate political allies of President Donald Trump. The decision removed the central obstacle for the two GOP senators who said they could not support his confirmation unless the fund was rescinded in writing.
In the order, Blanche declared that «beyond any doubt, there is no fund», a statement that appeared to put his nomination back on track after the objections of the holdouts had raised uncertainty about whether he could secure the post.
The two senators had made their support conditional on a written guarantee that the fund no longer existed. With that guarantee now issued, they have signaled they will back Blanche, leaving him on the verge of a successful confirmation vote in the Senate.
The agreement includes a notable safeguard: it can only be modified if both Trump and his government agree to it. That provision appears intended to ensure the fund cannot be quietly reinstated without the consent of the president and the leadership of the Justice Department.
The resolution brings an end to a standoff that had threatened to derail one of the Trump administration's highest-profile nominations. The fund had become a flashpoint in the confirmation debate, and the insistence of the senators on a written rescission made clear that verbal assurances would not be enough.
The development is a turning point in a confirmation process that has drawn intense attention in Washington. Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general, was nominated by Trump to lead the Justice Department permanently. The «anti-weaponization fund» had come under scrutiny because it was designed to compensate political allies of the president, raising questions about how the department's resources would be used.
The dispute also highlights the leverage that individual senators can hold in the confirmation process. By pressing their demands, the two holdouts were able to secure a formal change in policy before agreeing to support the nominee.
With the holdouts now on board, attention shifts to a full Senate vote, where Blanche is expected to have the backing needed to be confirmed. The written order ending the fund has removed the last significant objection that had been raised, and no other major hurdles have been reported in the final stretch of the process.
The confirmation vote, when it comes, will be the culmination of a nomination that briefly appeared in jeopardy. By agreeing to terminate the fund in writing, Blanche has cleared the way for a vote that now looks likely to end in his favor, a significant step for the Justice Department as it prepares for new permanent leadership.
