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Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general after Cassidy backs him

Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general after Cassidy backs him

Cassidy said narrowed tax-audit protections tied to Trump's IRS settlement were "totally wrong" and nearly cost Blanche his vote, but he said the proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund was effectively dead and the Justice Department needed stable leadership.

Fact Check
All three verified sources corroborate the core claims: Trump appealed Judge Kathleen Williams's ruling that found the IRS suit was filed in bad faith/improper collusion, the appeal proceeds (the Hill cites an appeal; CNBC notes an 11th Circuit context is consistent with a Florida federal ruling), the $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund is described as 'dead'/'scrapped,' and the matter is intertwined with Blanche's confirmation fight.
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Summary

Todd Blanche was confirmed as attorney general late Friday after Republican Senator Bill Cassidy backed President Donald Trump's nominee, turning a confirmation fight that had been in doubt after Republican opposition into a successful Senate vote. Cassidy said Blanche's written rescission of the proposed $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, along with the political and judicial obstacles to restoring it, persuaded him that the fund was effectively dead, but he called the settlement's tax-audit protections for Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization "totally wrong" and said they nearly pushed him to vote no. Cassidy said Louisiana U.S. attorneys told him the Justice Department was holding weekly calls, measuring prosecutors and providing resources for violent crime, human and drug trafficking, and Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases, reinforcing his view that the department needed stable leadership. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins still opposed Blanche, Democrats continue to argue the settlement changes are unenforceable, and legal challenges to the audit protections remain active.

Terms & Concepts
  • Senate confirmation: The Senate process of approving or rejecting a president's nominee for a senior executive branch position.
  • Anti-Weaponization Fund: A proposed $1.8 billion fund tied to Trump's IRS settlement that Blanche later rescinded in writing.
  • tax-audit protections: Limits in the settlement on certain IRS examinations involving Trump and related parties, later narrowed in scope.