Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Friday that he will support Todd Blanche for attorney general after disputes over an IRS settlement, a proposed $1.8 billion fund and tax-audit protections for President Donald Trump complicated the nominee’s confirmation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Friday he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, giving President Donald Trump’s nominee an important boost after opposition from other Senate Republicans placed his confirmation in doubt.
Cassidy announced his decision on the Senate floor as Republican divisions persisted over a controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have opposed Blanche, while several other Republicans had previously threatened to withhold their support unless the Justice Department addressed provisions of the settlement. Cassidy acknowledged reservations about the nominee but said uncertainty about a possible replacement weighed in favor of confirmation. Blanche “is not perfect” but no one is, Cassidy said, adding, “I will vote for Mr. Blanche.”
Much of the opposition has centered on a settlement that called for creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who believe they were mistreated by the criminal justice system and included protections against certain IRS audits for Trump and members of his family. The proposed compensation program, described as the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” became a particular point of contention among senators who questioned whether the administration could later restore it even after promising lawmakers that the initiative had been abandoned.
Murkowski said that possibility remains a concern because the Senate’s leverage over the administration could diminish once Blanche is confirmed. “Once we vote, that will end, and there is no telling what the future holds,” she said, referring to the pressure lawmakers can currently exert while Blanche’s nomination remains pending.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche’s nomination only after an agreement last weekend with Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whom had been threatening to block him over provisions of the settlement. As part of that agreement, Blanche formally rescinded the proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund and issued an order stating that “there is no Fund.”
The Justice Department also provided written clarification narrowing the scope of the tax protections contained in the settlement. According to the department, the agreement applies only to claims that were open when the settlement was reached and does not shield Trump from examination of future tax filings. The department further said the protections extend only to the parties that brought the lawsuit — Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization.
Those assurances have not ended the dispute. Democrats contend that Blanche’s order does not permanently prevent the administration from recreating the compensation fund after his confirmation and have called for legislation expressly prohibiting its revival. Trump has repeatedly defended the proposed fund and has threatened to move forward with it if Republican senators refuse to support Blanche’s nomination.
Questions also remain over the legality of the tax provisions benefiting Trump. Lawmakers and legal experts have challenged whether an agreement limiting IRS scrutiny of the president and related parties is permissible, while a federal judge who oversaw Trump’s IRS case described the lawsuit as an improper exercise in self-dealing. On Thursday, the union representing IRS employees asked another judge to block implementation of the immunity agreement.
Cassidy’s announcement improves Blanche’s prospects as the Senate prepares to decide whether he will take control of the Justice Department, but the nomination has exposed continuing Republican concerns about the settlement and Democratic demands for statutory safeguards preventing the disputed fund from being restored after confirmation.
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