Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order late Sunday officially terminating President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” resolving a weeks-long standoff with two Republican senators who had stalled his nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department.
The agreement sets up a Tuesday confirmation vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn confirmed the deal, while North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis did not immediately comment on the Sunday night release.
Cornyn and Tillis had withheld their support for Blanche over concerns regarding the fund, which was intended to compensate individuals who claimed they were unfairly prosecuted by previous administrations. Public and congressional pushback mounted over the possibility that violent rioters involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack could receive financial payouts.
Although Blanche testified in June that the Justice Department would not implement the fund, Cornyn and Tillis insisted on seeing the commitment in writing before endorsing his nomination.
In a statement, Blanche said the order came after “good faith discussions” with members of Congress.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche said.
The accompanying Justice Department order formally rescinds a May 18, 2026 order that created the framework for the fund. The document noted that “no Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid,” adding that the official action “establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.”
The document also narrows the scope of a separate provision from the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. The agreement clarifies that tax audit immunity for Trump and his family “applies by its terms only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the settlement, meaning it offers no protection against examinations of future tax filings.
The IRS settlement has faced significant scrutiny. On Friday, Trump’s lawyers notified a court that they would appeal a judge’s ruling that labeled the settlement an improper exercise in self-dealing. The judge in that case had criticized Blanche’s involvement due to his past work as Trump’s personal defense lawyer.
Throughout the negotiation process, President Trump continued to express support for compensating his allies. On Sunday evening, Trump argued that people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot had “their lives destroyed.”
“This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,” Trump said. “A lot of people like it.”
Trump had previously floated the idea of withdrawing Blanche’s nomination and resubmitting it next year after Cornyn, who lost a primary challenge, and Tillis, who is retiring, leave office.
Blanche joined the Justice Department last year as deputy attorney general and assumed the acting top role in April following the firing of former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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