Blanche, one of Trump’s most trusted legal aides, confirmed in writing that US$1.8bn settlement for US president’s allies was scrapped
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenHan Liin Washington, DCPublished: 1:24am, 5 Aug 2026US senators voted along party lines on Tuesday to advance US President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer as attorney general after he formally scrapped a controversial US$1.8 billion fund created through the administration’s settlement of a lawsuit brought by the president.Todd Blanche, who became deputy attorney general after Trump took office, has been serving as acting attorney general since his predecessor, Pam Bondi, resigned in April.The closely scrutinised Senate Judiciary Committee vote followed two hours of debate about Blanche’s relationship with Trump and the unusual settlement that almost derailed his confirmation, with Republicans voting in favour and Democrats opposing the nomination by a 12-10 vote. Blanche didn’t participate in the meeting as it was not a hearing.
Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had delayed the committee vote for a week. They threatened to oppose Blanche unless he dismantled the proposed “Anti-Weaponisation Fund” and narrowed an agreement limiting Internal Revenue Service audits of Trump and his family.
The fund emerged from the Trump administration’s settlement of a lawsuit the president filed against the IRS over the leaking of his tax records.
It was intended to compensate people who claimed politically motivated government investigations had targeted them. However, critics warned that it could be used to benefit Trump allies, including defendants charged over the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
