A key vote to advance Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general is in jeopardy as Republican Sen. John Cornyn has withheld his support, demanding more assurances from the Justice Department regarding a settlement concerning President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS.
Cornyn, a crucial swing vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee, canceled a scheduled meeting with Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general. Cornyn told reporters that the Justice Department has not adequately addressed in writing his concerns about the settlement, which granted Trump and his family members protection from tax audits. The Senate Judiciary Committee had planned a vote for Thursday on advancing Blanche's nomination to the full Senate.
At the heart of the dispute is the settlement of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. The agreement included provisions to drop tax claims against the former president and a now-canceled plan to establish a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The Justice Department announced in June that it would not proceed with the fund following bipartisan criticism, but the audit immunity agreement remains in place.
Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have been pressing for confirmation that the fund is definitively terminated, despite public assurances from Blanche. Cornyn also seeks clarification on the scope of the tax immunity deal.
"They know what they need to do but they simply refuse to do it," Cornyn stated regarding the Justice Department's actions. He added, "We're been trying to help them get to a conclusion here and they won't let us. It's befuddling to me."
A person familiar with the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations, indicated that the Justice Department had provided Cornyn’s office with a written proposal intended to address his concerns about the audit immunity agreement and the fund.