Todd Blanche clears senate hurdle as $1.8B fund deal wins over GOP holdouts

Todd Blanche's nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney General cleared a major hurdle after key Republican holdouts, Sens.

John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), announced they would support advancing his nomination.

The breakthrough came after Blanche issued a formal order rescinding the controversial $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund"—a proposed Justice Department mechanism tied to a settlement with President Donald Trump.

Trump's former personal lawyer and the current acting attorney general, agreed on Sunday to amend the terms of the fund and the tax immunity deal in order to win the backing of two holdout Republican senators, although critics say the amendments do not go far enough.

While Blanche is expected to clear a hurdle on Tuesday on his path to nomination for U.S. attorney general, still few questions persist about a deal he said would end President Donald Trump's "anti-weaponization" fund and narrow an agreement giving Trump immunity from audits of past tax returns.

Cornyn and Tillis had previously stalled the committee vote by refusing to back Blanche without a binding, written guarantee that the fund would not move forward.

With the agreement secured, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on advancing his nomination.