Cornyn Withholds Support, Putting Todd Blanche’s Attorney General Nomination at Risk Over $1.8B Fund

WASHINGTON — Todd Blanche’s bid to be confirmed as U.S. attorney general hit a potential roadblock Wednesday after Republican Senator John Cornyn said he would withhold his vote amid lingering questions about a controversial $1.8 billion fund tied to allies of former President Donald Trump.

Cornyn said his concerns focus on provisions in a settlement between President Trump and the administration that include a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” for Trump allies and a separate agreement that could shield Trump and his associates from tax audits that ordinary taxpayers would not receive.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) speaks with reporters about his thinking on whether to vote to advance the nomination Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee to be U.S. attorney general, out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The Texas Republican canceled a planned meeting with Blanche ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote set for Thursday, saying he would not back the nomination until the Justice Department provided written assurances addressing the issues he raised.

Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal defense lawyer and is currently acting attorney general, needs unanimous Republican support on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance his nomination to the full Senate. Cornyn’s refusal to say he will vote “yes” — and similar concerns voiced by GOP colleague Sen. Thom Tillis — could therefore prove decisive.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) speaks with reporters about his thinking on whether to vote to advance the nomination Todd Blanche, President Trump's nominee to be U.S. attorney general, out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

“I’m not prepared to vote yes,” Cornyn told reporters, adding that he had not seen written materials responsive to his requests: “I haven’t seen a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I’ve requested.”

According to a person familiar with the matter, Blanche submitted a written proposal on Wednesday to Cornyn and other key Republicans intended to “put the fund to bed.” The same person, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations, said the proposal would also clarify a related agreement Blanche signed that could grant Trump and his associates broad protections from audits of past tax returns.

In May, Blanche told lawmakers he could not commit to barring payments from a settlement fund to people who assaulted police officers — including participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack — though he later told lawmakers the fund was not moving forward. Cornyn and Tillis have pressed Blanche about his role in shaping the fund and the audit protections.

Liz Stein, an advocate and a survivor of human trafficking and abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, listens as U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) speaks with reporters about his thinking on whether to vote to advance U.S. attorney general nominee Todd Blanche, outside Cornyn’s office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 29, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Both the alleged audit-immunity agreement and the anti-weaponization fund stem from a settlement tied to Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit involving the Internal Revenue Service. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley set a 4 p.m. (2000 GMT) Wednesday deadline for deciding whether to cancel Thursday’s committee vote, and Cornyn said there was still time to resolve the dispute.

This development adds uncertainty to a confirmation that Republicans had hoped to advance quickly; Blanche remains acting attorney general while awaiting the committee’s decision.