Blanche formally rescinds Trump’s $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponization fund’ ahead of nomination hearing
✓Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche issued a formal order late on Sunday terminating Donald Trump’s $1.8bn “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate his political allies, a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who were blocking his nomination to become attorney general.
While Blanche has repeatedly said publicly that the fund was dead, the justice department had resisted formally confirming that in writing. That had drawn concern from lawmakers that it could be revived in some form, especially after Trump expressed continued support for the idea.
A spokesperson for Texas Senator John Cornyn, one of the senators holding up Blanche’s nomination, confirmed the agreement. The other GOP senator, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, did not have immediate comment.
The announcement comes ahead of a Senate judiciary committee vote on Blanche, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche said in a post on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order.”
The order says that “although the acting attorney general has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.”
The document released by Blanche on Sunday night also limits the scope of another provision of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from tax audits. It clarifies that the tax audit immunity agreement “applies only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.
The two sides have been negotiating for weeks, but Trump has said repeatedly during the talks that he thinks the fund should go forward.
Earlier on Sunday evening, Trump said that people who had faced charges from the January 6 attack on the Capitol and could have benefited from the fund had “their lives destroyed”.
“This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Axios ↗
Acting attorney general Todd Blanche issued a formal order on Sunday terminating the proposed $1.8bn compensation fund for Trump's political allies. The fund had been the subject of weeks-long negotiations between Blanche and two Republican senators—John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina—who had blocked Blanche's nomination as attorney general. While Blanche had publicly stated multiple times that the fund would not proceed, the Justice Department had not formally rescinded it in writing, prompting congressional concern that it could be revived. The formal order, issued ahead of a Tuesday Senate judiciary committee vote on Blanche's nomination, also clarified that a separate tax audit immunity agreement in the Trump settlement applies only to past tax claims, not future filings. Trump had expressed continued support for the compensation fund during the negotiations.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Axios ↗
Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche issued a formal order late on Sunday terminating Donald Trump’s $1.8bn “anti-weaponization fund” to compensate his political allies, a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who were blocking his nomination to become attorney general.
While Blanche has repeatedly said publicly that the fund was dead, the justice department had resisted formally confirming that in writing. That had drawn concern from lawmakers that it could be revived in some form, especially after Trump expressed continued support for the idea.
A spokesperson for Texas Senator John Cornyn, one of the senators holding up Blanche’s nomination, confirmed the agreement. The other GOP senator, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, did not have immediate comment.
The announcement comes ahead of a Senate judiciary committee vote on Blanche, which is scheduled for Tuesday.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche said in a post on X. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order.”
The order says that “although the acting attorney general has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.”
The document released by Blanche on Sunday night also limits the scope of another provision of the settlement that provided broad immunity for Trump and members of his family from tax audits. It clarifies that the tax audit immunity agreement “applies only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.
The two sides have been negotiating for weeks, but Trump has said repeatedly during the talks that he thinks the fund should go forward.
Earlier on Sunday evening, Trump said that people who had faced charges from the January 6 attack on the Capitol and could have benefited from the fund had “their lives destroyed”.
“This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it.”
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Axios ↗
Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche issued a formal order on Sunday terminating a proposed $1.8bn compensation fund for Trump's political allies The move followed weeks of negotiations with Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who were blocking Blanche's nomination as attorney general Blanche had repeatedly stated publicly that the fund was dead, but the Justice Department had not formally rescinded it in writing Lawmakers expressed concern that the fund could be revived without formal written rescission The formal order clarified that a tax audit immunity agreement applies only retroactively to existing claims, not future tax filings Trump said during negotiations that the compensation fund should go forward and that beneficiaries had 'their lives destroyed' The announcement comes ahead of a Tuesday Senate judiciary committee vote on Blanche's nomination
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Axios ↗
- Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche formally terminated a proposed $1.8bn fund to compensate Trump's political allies, ending weeks of negotiation with two Republican senators blocking his nomination
- The formal written rescission follows Blanche's repeated public statements that the fund was dead, but lawmakers had sought written confirmation to prevent potential revival
- Blanche also narrowed the scope of a tax audit immunity agreement in the Trump settlement to apply only retroactively, not to future tax filings
- The announcement precedes a scheduled Senate judiciary committee vote on Blanche's nomination to become attorney general