WASHINGTON — 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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