Lame-Duck Senator Cornyn Derails Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination Over IRS Immunity Settlement
Following his defeat in a re-election bid against a right-wing challenger backed by President Trump, Senator John Cornyn of Texas utilized his position on the Senate Judiciary Committee to stall the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general. As the Senate recessed for the weekend on Thursday night, Mr. Cornyn and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina blocked the advancement of the nominee, demanding that the Justice Department modify an immunity settlement between President Trump and the Internal Revenue Service. The agreement, which protected Mr. Trump, his family, and his businesses from potential penalties totaling at least $100 million, faces objections not over its existence, but regarding its lack of specific written parameters.
The newly liberated senators are not attempting to dissolve the deal negotiated by Mr. Blanche and the president’s personal lawyers, which previously sparked accusations of self-dealing from Democrats. Instead, Mr. Cornyn is pressing the administration to put sworn testimony into writing, guaranteeing that the IRS immunity applies strictly to past tax returns and exclusively to Mr. Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization. This demand contrasts with past legislative pushback against the executive branch, where critics typically settled for vague assurances rather than formal written guarantees. Earlier this month, Mr. Cornyn successfully deployed a similar strategy by threatening to withhold support from two ambassadorial nominees over frozen HIV prevention funds.
Mr. Cornyn’s willingness to challenge the administration arrives as President Trump’s public popularity experiences a decline and congressional frustration mounts. Although Mr. Tillis had previously maintained an openly critical stance after declining to seek re-election following threats from the president, Mr. Cornyn had historically remained a dependable vote who rarely voiced opposition. Unshackled by future political campaigns, the Texas Republican has embraced an independent posture, functioning as an institutional shield for fellow lawmakers who share his misgivings about executive actions but harbor anxieties regarding political blowback.
Following a suggestion by President Trump on Thursday morning that the nomination might be deferred to the next Congress to bypass the two Republican objectors, Mr. Cornyn countered via social media that opposition to the tax settlement provisions extends beyond himself and Mr. Tillis. Additional support materialized from lawmakers who are not currently running for re-election, including Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Senator John Curtis of Utah. Concurrently, Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota expressed backing for his colleague’s right to seek official clarification, noting that an inability to verify the testimony under oath would suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of the nominee’s original statements.
