The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination, the Daily Caller reported, after two Republican holdouts supported moving it forward.
Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina had hesitated to support the nomination. They demanded that the Department of Justice formally terminate a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund before they would back Blanche.
The fund was intended to compensate people who claimed the government had been weaponized against them, according to the report.
The senators also sought changes to an Internal Revenue Service settlement so its audit-immunity provision involving President Donald Trump and his family would not extend beyond the plaintiffs.
Cornyn and Tillis announced Monday that they would support Blanche after the Justice Department issued written confirmation that it had rescinded the fund.
In a joint statement, the senators said the department issued a formal order terminating the fund. They also said a binding written order limited the audit settlement to the plaintiffs and addressed concerns shared by other Republican senators.
Cornyn and Tillis thanked Blanche and his staff and said they looked forward to advancing the nomination.
This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.
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