Two Republican senators threaten to block Trump AG nominee Todd Blanche

Two outgoing Republican senators appear prepared to derail Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, citing unresolved concerns over a controversial Trump administration fund.

Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, whose votes are critical to Blanche's confirmation, have raised objections regarding the status of President Trump's $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." The fund was designed to provide financial assistance to individuals who claim they were targeted for supporting the president.

Cornyn Demands Written Agreement

During Blanche's most recent confirmation hearing, Cornyn noted that while Blanche claimed the fund was dead, no written agreement existed to formally terminate it. Now, Cornyn is demanding documentation.

"What I want is the written document to say the same thing he did in his sworn testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee, and, as you recall, what he said is the weaponization fund is dead. He said the audit immunity basically doesn't extend to parties beyond the lawsuit, and it doesn't also extend to future actions by federal agencies other than the IRS," Cornyn said Monday. "That's what we're trying to get them to agree to, which is again what his sworn testimony was. So I don't know why they're—I don't know why they're so reluctant to do that when he's already sworn to it."

Tillis Also Seeks Changes

Tillis has similarly demanded modifications to the settlement agreement with the IRS, which created the $1.776 billion fund and granted the Trump family immunity from future IRS audits.

Tillis previously threatened to block Blanche's nomination unless he met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche held that meeting earlier this month, but survivors described it as "demoralizing," saying Blanche continued to avoid answering their questions.

"It just felt like more political posturing and using survivors the way that we've been used as political pawns," said Elizabeth Stein, an Epstein survivor and anti-human trafficking educator.

Nomination at Risk

Cornyn and Tillis's "no" votes would effectively kill Blanche's nomination, as he needs support from all 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance. Currently, that support appears uncertain. The committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche's nomination on Thursday.

DOJ Witness Undermines Case Against Olympic Canoeist Charged in Reflecting Pool Incident

The Department of Justice's own witness is casting doubt on the case against David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist charged with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

According to court documents, a grand jury witness for the government testified that the pool was damaged before Hearn approached it. NBC News reports that this witness was the only person who testified about damage to the pool.

Hearn, who has pleaded not guilty, maintains that "the condition of the Reflecting Pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there," and that he only touched a part of the pool's detached coating.

President Trump has claimed, without evidence, that vandals used a knife or blade to cause a "gash" in the pool's lining.

Charges and Evidence Questioned

Hearn faces a felony charge of destruction of property, accused of causing $1,000 in damage to the pool. His lawyers question the evidence behind that figure, noting that $1,000 is the minimum threshold required for a felony charge. At least three other individuals have been charged with misdemeanors related to incidents at the pool.

Hearn's lawyers stated that the government's main witness testimony "established that the pool had substantial preexisting damage requiring repair before any alleged conduct by Mr. Hearn."

"The government's only witness on that element testified that the property was already deteriorated, that the identified repairs would have been needed even without Mr. Hearn's alleged conduct, and that he could not quantify any loss caused by that conduct," his lawyers continued. "Consequently, the grand jury's indictment of Mr. Hearn is hard to explain. Mr. Hearn needs to learn whether the grand jury was properly instructed that the charge required him to have caused the damage."

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