Acting US Attorney-General Todd Blanche rescinds ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund before confirmation vote
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Republican senators had stalled acting US Attorney-General Todd Blanche’s nomination over concerns about the fund.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinded the controversial "anti-weaponisation" fund to ease Republican opposition before his Senate confirmation vote on August 4.
- Republican Senators Cornyn and Tillis demanded written assurances limiting IRS audits to Trump and close associates as part of an agreement to unblock Blanche's nomination.
- The fund was part of a settlement over Trump's $10 billion IRS lawsuit, criticised as potentially rewarding Trump allies, but Trump plans to push Congress to codify it despite its rescission.
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NEW YORK – Acting US Attorney-General Todd Blanche rescinded an order establishing the “anti-weaponisation” fund, paving the way for his confirmation ahead of a key Senate committee vote on Aug 4, after Republican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 seeking written assurances that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund, which critics have derided as a slush fund for US President Donald Trump’s supporters.
“The Department of Justice today announced that the Acting Attorney-General rescinded the May 18, 2026 Order that established ‘The Anti-Weaponisation Fund’,” according to a copy of the order posted by Blanche on X on Aug 2.
The US$1.8 billion (S$2.31 billion) fund was created as part of a legal settlement between Trump and the US Justice Department, to resolve his US$10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the alleged mishandling of his tax records.
Supporters say the fund was intended to compensate individuals they argue were unfairly targeted by the federal government, while critics said it could direct taxpayer money to Trump allies, including those who assaulted police officers during the Capitol riot on Jan 6, 2021.
The Republican senators had also objected to a Justice Department order that barred the IRS from pursuing any audits into past tax claims for Trump, his relatives and his companies for any tax returns filed before May 18.
“Senator Cornyn has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice, which will be issuing a formal order permanently terminating the anti-weaponisation fund and making clear in a binding written document that the scope of the audit settlement is limited to only the plaintiffs, including the President, and the IRS,” Cornyn’s spokeswoman Natalie Yezbick said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.
Blanche’s order stated that the tax order “applied by its terms only retroactively”.
“The Acting Attorney-General stands by all of his July 15, 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee testimony, including answers to questions asked by Senator Cornyn related to the scope and applicability of the May 19, 2026 Order,” the DOJ statement shared by Blanche said, referring to the tax audit order.
Trump had said as recently as last week that the “anti-weaponisation” fund was dead.
However, the President said over the weekend that Blanche would stay in his current acting role if not confirmed by the Senate and added that he would also push Congress to codify the proposed fund.
Tillis, whose term ends in January, wrote on Aug 1 that Blanche would not be confirmed because of Trump’s reversal, although he hoped that the matter could be resolved by Aug 4. He did not reply to a further request for comment.
Blanche has served as Acting Attorney-General since April, when Trump fired Pam Bondi. REUTERS
