NewzWASHINGTON (AP) — Todd Blanche’s nomination to become attorney general stalled Wednesday as lawmakers scrapped a planned committee vote after key Republicans demanded more assurances about the settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.The Senate Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to vote Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination to the floor. But two Republican senators who could sink Blanche’s prospects have threatened to withhold their support without more answers from the Justice Department about the controversial settlement.A spokeswoman for the committee said in a statement Wednesday night that the vote would be postponed.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) — A planned vote to move forward with Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general appeared in doubt Wednesday as a key Republican senator demanded more assurances from the Justice Department about the settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.GOP Sen.
John Cornyn, a crucial swing vote, told reporters he was not willing to support Blanche's nomination until the Justice Department adequately addressed in writing his concerns about the settlement that afforded Trump and members of his family protection from tax audits.The dispute threatened to upend plans for the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote Thursday on whether to advance Blanche's nomination to the full Senate. Another Republican on the committee, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, has backed Cornyn's position, and just one Republican holdout could sink Blanche's prospects.After hours of negotiations, Cornyn said Wednesday evening that there had been no progress toward satisfying his demands.“They’re stonewalling,” Cornyn, who lost the Texas Republican primary in May, said of the Justice Department.At the center of the fight is the settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS that included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were wronged by the Justice Department. The Justice Department said in June that it was no longer moving forward with the “Anti-Weaponization Fund" amid bipartisan outrage but officials have said the audit immunity agreement remains in place.Blanche didn’t an…
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) late Wednesday evening canceled a scheduled meeting to consider the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Justice Department amid opposition from some GOP senators on the panel. “Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure. Republican John Cornyn says he will not back nomination without written confirmation $1.8bn slush fund is deadTodd Blanche’s hopes of becoming US attorney general seemed to be in jeopardy on Wednesday after the Department of Justice did not provide written assurances to a key Republican senator that a $1.8bn slush fund was dead.The US Senate judiciary committee postponed a vote scheduled for Thursday on whether to advance Blanche’s nomination.
A planned vote to move forward with Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general appeared in doubt Wednesday as a key Republican senator demanded more assurances from the Justice Department about the settlement of President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Todd Blanche, Trump's former defence lawyer, has faced scrutiny over his alleged loyalty to the US president. A planned vote this week to advance Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general appears in doubt.
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