Get you up to speed: Blanche reiterates that “anti-weaponization” fund is “dead” at Senate confirmation hearing
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department will not proceed with a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund linked to a settlement involving President Trump, stating that “the weaponization fund is dead.” This development occurred during Blanche’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he faced bipartisan criticism regarding the settlement’s provisions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the Justice Department has not modified the settlement agreement regarding the $1.8 billion fund, and no amendments have been filed in federal court. A federal judge in Miami recently sanctioned an attorney for Mr. Trump and questioned the ethical conduct of officials involved, while both parties have yet to formally address potential enforcement of the settlement.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the Justice Department will not move forward with the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, stating, “The weaponization fund is dead.” Despite bipartisan concerns from senators regarding the handling of the settlement, Blanche acknowledged the agreement remains enforceable, indicating that President Trump’s legal team could potentially challenge it, although no plans to do so have been confirmed.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain whether President Trump’s counsel plans to enforce the settlement agreement in the future.
Blanche confirms absence of “anti-weaponization” fund at Senate hearing
Washington — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reiterated on Wednesday that the Justice Department has no plans to launch a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund at the heart of a controversial settlement between President Trump and the IRS, even though language in the settlement agreement filed in a federal court has yet to be amended by the parties.
“It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund. The weaponization fund is dead,” Blanche told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he appeared for his confirmation hearing to serve as Attorney General.
Blanche has faced staunch bipartisan criticism over the settlement, which called for the creation of the new fund at the Justice Department to pay victims of so-called government “weaponization” and granted immunity to Mr. Trump, his two oldest sons, his company and related companies from future tax claims. Earlier this week, a federal judge in Miami rebuked the Justice Department and sanctioned an attorney for Mr. Trump in the IRS case, finding the president pursued the lawsuit “for an improper purpose.”
The ruling raised questions about whether Blanche and Stanley Woodward, the No. 3 official at the Justice Department, violated ethical rules. It barred them from citing the provisions of the deal as evidence of a settlement in any formal court or government proceeding.
Both Democratic and Republican senators on Wednesday repeatedly raised concerns about the way the Justice Department has handled the case, noting that the settlement expressly states that any changes to it must be agreed upon by all parties involved. To date, no one from either the government or Mr. Trump’s personal legal team have formally filed amendments to the settlement in federal court.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, reading from the settlement on Wednesday, noted that it says the terms of the deal “may be modified only upon the written agreement of the parties.”
“Has there been a written agreement of the parties to modify the settlement fund?” he asked.
“No, the settlement fund is just not moving forward,” Blanche responded. “There’s no modification. It never started. No money went from the Treasury to any other account.”
When pressed, however, as to whether the settlement agreement may be enforceable by the parties, Blanche conceded that the president could challenge it down the road.
“Yes, it’s an enforceable document, so I suppose if President Trump’s counsel sought to enforce it, that they potentially could … try to enforce the contract. They can’t force the Department of Justice to move forward with the weaponization fund. They could potentially say that we breached by not moving forward,” Blanche said. “They haven’t done that, and I’m not aware that they’re planning on doing that.”