Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has issued a formal order to terminate the $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," a controversial initiative intended to compensate individuals who claimed they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department. The move follows weeks of intense negotiations with Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had threatened to block Blanche’s nomination for the permanent attorney general position unless the fund was officially and permanently dismantled. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Blanche’s confirmation this week, and the rescission removes a significant hurdle to his advancement.
The fund was originally established in May 2026 as part of a legal settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service regarding the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns. While Blanche had previously testified that the fund was not moving forward, lawmakers remained skeptical, demanding a written, legally binding commitment to ensure it could not be revived. The new order explicitly states that the fund is rescinded and has no force or effect, aiming to provide the clarity that senators required to move forward with the nomination process.
In addition to ending the fund, the Justice Department clarified the scope of a separate provision in the settlement that granted tax audit immunity to the president and his family. The department confirmed that this protection is limited to retroactive claims and does not shield the president or his associates from future tax audits. This clarification was a key demand for senators concerned about the potential for broad, indefinite immunity for the president’s personal and business interests.
Despite these assurances, the practical impact of the order remains a subject of debate. Because the underlying settlement agreement between the president and the IRS remains unchanged, some legal experts and critics argue that the rescission is not ironclad. They note that the order was signed only by Blanche and not by the president, leaving open the possibility that the administration could attempt to revive the fund or enforce the original settlement terms in the future. The Senate committee’s upcoming vote will now proceed with these lingering questions about the long-term enforceability of the agreement.