Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issues order rescinding "anti-weaponization fund"

Key Points:

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinded the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" intended to compensate allies of former President Trump, following threats from Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn to block his permanent confirmation.
• The order clarifies that no funds were transferred, no members appointed, and no claims paid under the fund, which had faced multiple lawsuits and a federal judge's temporary block.
• Blanche also limited the scope of a related IRS settlement provision, specifying that tax audit immunity for Trump and his family applies only retroactively to open claims at the time of the settlement, not to future tax filings.
• Senators Tillis and Cornyn had demanded written assurance that the fund would not proceed before supporting Blanche's confirmation, which is scheduled for a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Tuesday.
• Former President Trump threatened to revive the fund if Blanche was not confirmed, but widespread bipartisan opposition, including from Democrats and other Republicans, makes the fund's future uncertain.