All articles tagged with #doj anti weaponization fund
Todd Blanche’s nomination to be Attorney General remains uncertain as Republicans demand the DOJ formally kill the controversial 'anti-weaponization' fund; Sen. John Cornyn says he hasn’t received a written plan from the DOJ, while Sen. Thom Tillis is more optimistic, and a vote on Blanche could be postponed until the fund issue is resolved.
Two Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee remain undecided on confirming Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general, risking the nomination's progress. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis cite concerns about reviving the $1.8 billion DOJ “Anti-Weaponization” fund from a Trump IRS settlement, with Tillis wanting Blanche to meet Epstein survivors before voting. Blanche has scheduled such a meeting at the DOJ, while Cornyn pressed him on the fund's language that could allow revival. If both GOP holdouts oppose and Democrats back Blanche, the committee could stall and prevent a full Senate vote. Blanche has been acting attorney general since April after Pam Bondi was fired and previously served as deputy AG; Epstein survivors have criticized his handling of related disclosures.)
In a Face the Nation interview, Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticizes the proposed Iran deal as likely to widen U.S. involvement and grant Iran more control over the Strait of Hormuz, urging policymakers to stop “digging” and focus on domestic costs. He also denounces the DOJ’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund as a political slush fund and pushes for guardrails (e.g., excluding Jan. 6 rioters) and transparency. Van Hollen welcomes the judge’s dismissal of the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case as vindictive and questions the DOJ’s actions, while calling the Democratic National Committee’s election autopsy incomplete and arguing Democrats must address economic pain and avoid leadership changes six months before the next election.