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Senate Panel Delays Vote on Blanche 07/30 06:28
Todd Blanche's nomination to become attorney general stalled Wednesday as
lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote after key Republicans demanded more
assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the
Internal Revenue Service.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Todd Blanche's nomination to become attorney general
stalled Wednesday as lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote after key
Republicans demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald
Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The Senate Judiciary Committee had been expected to vote Thursday on whether
to advance Blanche's nomination to the full chamber. But resistance from two
Republican senators on the committee who could block Blanche's nomination threw
his confirmation into doubt.
A spokesperson for the committee said in a statement Wednesday night that
the vote would be postponed "as work continues to secure sufficient support."
The delay came after hours of negotiations between the Justice Department and
Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis over the controversial settlement
that afforded Trump and members of his family protection from tax audits.
At the center of the fight is the resolution of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit
against the IRS. It included a deal to drop tax claims against the president
and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to
compensate people who believe they were wronged by the Justice Department. The
department said in June that it was no longer moving forward with the
"Anti-Weaponization Fund" amid bipartisan outrage, but officials have said the
audit immunity agreement remains in place.
Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the
"Anti-Weaponization Fund" is dead and have pressed for clarification on the
scope of the tax immunity deal. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to
modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing
audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax
filings.
Cornyn, who recently lost the Republican primary in Texas, accused the
Justice Department earlier Wednesday of "stonewalling" and said "the ball is in
Blanche's court."
"We're been trying to help them get to a conclusion here and they won't let
us. It's befuddling to me," Cornyn told reporters.
Blanche didn't answer shouted questions from reporters as he left Capitol
Hill, where he had been meeting with senators Wednesday. The Justice Department
sent Cornyn and Tillis new language Wednesday evening in an effort to satisfy
their demands, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the
condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions surrounding
Blanche's confirmation.
After the vote was postponed, the department said in a statement that it
looks "forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any
concerns."
Trump on Wednesday downplayed any concerns about Blanche's path to
confirmation, calling his attorney general pick and former personal attorney
"outstanding."
"Maybe John Cornyn's upset with me because I didn't endorse him," Trump told
reporters in response to questions about the senator's requests.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the state's Republican nomination for
the U.S. Senate, easily defeating Cornyn. Trump had endorsed Paxton.
Some lawmakers have questioned whether the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" could
be resurrected absent a commitment in writing from the Trump administration
that it is not moving forward, especially since Trump has expressed continued
support for the idea. Blanche had previously resisted requests for a formal
written retraction, though he told senators at his confirmation hearing earlier
this month that the administration would be willing to help craft legislation
to bar the creation of the fund.
The settlement resulting from Trump's lawsuit over his leaked tax returns
has drawn intense scrutiny both in Congress and in court. The judge handling
the case said in a scathing ruling earlier this month that Trump had
effectively engaged in self-dealing through the lawsuit and that she was
troubled Blanche had signed the settlement, given his prior representation of
Trump.
Blanche has said he disagrees "with the judge's insinuations" about him.
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