Acting AG Todd Blanche reaches deal with holdout senators to scrap $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
The move clears a path for his confirmation and narrows tax-audit protections in Trump’s IRS settlement, after senators demanded written assurances.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinded the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" on Sunday, August 2, 2026, aimed at resolving a legislative impasse ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote.
- Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had withheld support for Blanche's confirmation, demanding written assurances that the fund be permanently terminated, which Tillis described as a "payout pot for punks."
- Confirming the program's status, the Justice Department stated that no members were appointed, no funds were transferred, and no claims were established. Blanche's order also narrowed tax audit immunity, stating it "applies only retroactively."
- Following the agreement, Cornyn and Tillis announced they will support the nomination, allowing the Senate Judiciary Committee to proceed with its scheduled confirmation vote on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
- While the fund is officially rescinded, President Donald Trump continues to express support for the initiative, leading critics to note the order does not legally prevent the administration from reviving the fund.
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Todd Blanche Kept Trump’s Tax Audit Shield. It Could Erase a $100 Million IRS Bill
President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, the presidential retreat, in Camp David, Maryland, on July 31, 2026. —Anna Moneymaker—Getty ImagesWhile Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally rescinded the controversial “Anti-Weaponization Fund” the Justice Department planned to create under a settlement agreement with President Donald Trump, another element of that agreement remains i…
$1.8B Brawl Erupts in Washington | Fresh Off The Press
A $1.8 billion Trump-backed fund meant to compensate Americans for “weaponization and lawfare” is now at the center of a fierce clash with Republicans who brand it a “payout pot for punks” even as President Trump pushes to revive it. Story Snapshot President Trump’s anti-weaponization fund was created through a settlement of his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The fund would use $1.776 billion from the federal Judgment Fund to pay…
ICE shooting fallout in Maine puts spotlight on Sen. Collin’s AG vote - Maine Beacon
With the Senate expected to confirm Todd Blanche as the next U.S. Attorney General this week, pressure from watchdog groups is mounting on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who may cast the deciding vote. Blanche has vowed in writing the Justice Department will not create the “anti-weaponization fund” for the president’s allies, something Collins rejected. But Blanche has also slowed investigations of fatal ICE shootings, including the death of a you…
Acting Attorney General Blanche Rescinds ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund Before Confirmation Vote
By Reuters via The Daily Signal | August 03, 2026 Acting 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 seek…
Todd Blanche gets the approval of the Judicial Affairs Committee after writing that he renounces the 1.8 billion funding to "compensate" President Leer's allies.
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