Todd Blanche’s Path to Attorney General Nomination Clashes With Senate Opposition Over IRS Settlement Deal
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces mounting resistance in the Senate regarding his confirmation, driven by opposition from two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee: Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The senators are blocking a floor vote over a $1.8 billion fund created to compensate purported victims of prosecutorial abuses, which also features a provision granting sweeping tax immunity to President Trump and his family.
Internal Justice Department Actions and Prior Loyalties
Before his nomination faced roadblocks, Mr. Blanche served as the leader of President Trump’s criminal defense team and executed various high-profile actions within the Justice Department to demonstrate alignment with the administration’s interests. His tenure included maintaining a behind-the-scenes damage-control role during the release of the Epstein files, planning moves against former C.I.A. Director John O. Brennan and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, and approving the indictment of former F.B.I. Director James B. Comey.
The IRS Lawsuit Settlement and Legal Disagreements
The controversy centers on the agreement settling President Trump’s lawsuit against the I.R.S. concerning the leak of his confidential tax returns to The New York Times. While Mr. Blanche has stated he did not personally negotiate the terms, the agreement was drafted by subordinate Trent McCotter alongside private defense attorneys including Boris Epshteyn. Although Mr. Blanche expressed internal concerns about the plan, he concluded it passed legal muster and agreed to address the ensuing backlash.
Presidential Response and Ongoing Senate Negotiations
In response to the stalled nomination, President Trump utilized Truth Social to criticize Senator Cornyn and briefly floated the concept of temporarily withdrawing the nomination until outgoing senators leave office. Meanwhile, Mr. Blanche engaged in written proposal exchanges with Mr. Cornyn’s office to address the impasse over the anti-weaponization fund, while both Cornyn and Tillis maintain that broader reservations regarding the settlement decree exist among other Senate Republicans.
