Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has officially withdrawn plans for a controversial $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after two Republican senators threatened to block his nomination to become the country’s permanent Attorney General. The decision came just days before a key vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. According to Reuters and Associated Press, the move significantly improves Blanche’s chances of winning Senate confirmation.
The proposed fund was intended to compensate individuals whom the Trump administration argued had been unfairly targeted through politically motivated investigations. Critics, however, warned that it could become a mechanism to financially benefit political allies of President Donald Trump, including people connected to investigations following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis publicly opposed Blanche’s nomination unless the fund was scrapped and additional safeguards were introduced regarding future investigations involving President Trump and his family. Following negotiations with Senate Republicans, the Justice Department formally rescinded the proposal.
According to the Department of Justice, the fund was never activated. No board members had been appointed, no payments had been authorized, and no compensation claims had been processed. In a separate memorandum, Blanche also confirmed that any future tax investigations involving President Trump or members of his family would continue under existing federal law without special treatment.
The decision removes one of the biggest political obstacles facing Blanche’s confirmation. Nevertheless, President Trump has continued defending the original proposal, arguing that many Americans had been unfairly investigated and deserved compensation.
Political analysts say the episode highlights growing divisions within the Republican Party over how the Justice Department should address politically sensitive investigations while maintaining public confidence in its independence.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press.
