By Sadie Gurman

WASHINGTON -- A divided Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general, after he committed in writing to killing a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" that had rankled key Republicans.

The vote was along party lines, with the panel's 12 Republicans supporting Blanche and all 10 Democrats opposing him.

It isn't yet clear whether Blanche has sufficient support in the full Senate to clinch confirmation, or when a final vote might happen.

Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense attorney, has been leading the Justice Department in an acting capacity since April.

The committee vote came after Blanche won the support of two holdout GOP senators by formally rescinding the fund, which could have been used to pay the president's allies, and narrowing the scope of tax-audit protections that the Trump administration gave to the president, his family and his businesses. Blanche said this relief would only apply retroactively.

But Blanche's move doesn't alter the agreement between Trump and his administration that created the fund. The fund and the audit protections were a product of a controversial settlement that ended an extraordinary $10 billion lawsuit filed by the president against the Internal Revenue Service for a contractor's illegal leak of his tax returns during his first term.

The fund faced intense bipartisan blowback after it was announced in May, including from Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who have clashed with Trump in the past and won't be returning to the Senate. Calling the fund the "payout pot for punks," Tillis on Tuesday said: "It's done, it's been rescinded, and I am satisfied."

It isn't clear how legally binding or significant the Justice Department's new commitments are. Notably, the text of the deal creating the fund said it could be changed only with agreement of all of the parties who signed it, including the IRS, the Justice Department and Trump in his personal capacity.

Democrats oppose Blanche's nomination and have called both the fund and audit protections wrong and corrupt. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI) called the new commitments "decorative."

"There's enough weasel room in these documents to drive a truck through, " he said Tuesday, adding that nothing in the agreement prevents the Justice Department from standing up a new fund under a different name.

Cornyn had pointed out during Blanche's confirmation hearing that Trump could sue for breach of contract if the Justice Department fails to create the fund, and the president has continued to support the idea of a fund.

Even without the fund, the administration can make settlement payments to people who file claims or lawsuits against the government.

Asked about the decision to rescind the fund, Trump said Monday he wasn't personally involved with it. "I didn't look at it," he told reporters. "All I know is, Todd Blanche is great."

Write to Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 04, 2026 11:22 ET (15:22 GMT)