Judiciary Committee advances stalled Blanche nomination for attorney general

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Blanche strikes deal with Cornyn on 'anti-weaponization' fund to allow nomination to advance

Blanche strikes deal with Cornyn on 'anti-weaponization' fund to allow nomination to advance

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general, clearing the way for a vote on the Senate floor after Blanche reached a deal with two GOP holdouts on the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who are both exiting Congress at the end of the year, had raised objections to the fund, pushing Blanche to put in writing what the North Carolina Republican called a “payout for punks.”

Blanche signed an order Sunday formally rescinding the fund, appeasing the two Republicans and winning the support necessary to advance from the committee in a 12-10, party-line vote.

But much of the committee’s meeting Tuesday morning to review his nomination consisted on Democrats calling out the loopholes in the deal.

While Blanche signed a memo killing the fund, President Trump’s underlying lawsuit is still live and the president did not sign off on the shift – something Cornyn himself had previously noted could allow Trump to sue to revive the fund.

It also leaves in place a memo that offered sweeping immunity to Trump, his adult children, and their business against any investigation or review by the government into........

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