Todd Blanche‘s nomination for U.S. attorney general appeared in jeopardy on Wednesday as a pivotal Republican senator withheld support, seeking further guarantees from the Justice Department over the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a crucial swing vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee, canceled a scheduled Wednesday meeting with Blanche, who currently serves as acting attorney general. Cornyn said the department had not adequately addressed his concerns in writing about a deal that shielded Trump and members of his family from tax audits.
“They know what they need to do but they simply refuse to do it,” Cornyn told reporters, referring to the Justice Department.
The committee has scheduled a Thursday vote to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate, but that timeline could slip without Cornyn’s backing. Another committee Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, has aligned himself with Cornyn’s position, narrowing the margin for the nominee.
At the heart of the dispute is the resolution of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. The settlement included an agreement to drop tax claims against the president and a now-abandoned plan to establish a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” intended to compensate individuals who believed they were wronged by the Justice Department.
The department announced in June that it would no longer pursue the fund following bipartisan criticism, while stating that the audit immunity arrangement remained in place. Cornyn and Tillis have pressed for firmer confirmation that the fund is permanently dead, particularly after Trump signaled continued support for the concept.
The standoff underscores the tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans over the department’s handling of matters directly involving the president. Blanche, a former personal attorney for Trump, has offered repeated public assurances, but lawmakers have sought written commitments.
The confirmation fight comes amid a broader pattern of contested nominations for senior administration posts, following earlier party-line Senate votes on key security appointments. A delay in the committee vote would prolong Blanche’s tenure as acting attorney general while negotiations continue.
The nomination’s fate now rests on whether the Justice Department satisfies the demands of two Republican holdouts before the scheduled vote, a decision that could reshape the timeline for filling one of the government’s most senior legal positions.