Senate Panel Delays Vote on Blanche    07/30 06:28

   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.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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.