Blanche Defends $1.776 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Under Questioning From Senate Committee

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, is defending a new “anti-weaponization fund” to pay claims to people who allege they suffered weaponization by the Biden administration’s Department of Justice.President Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization on Monday dropped their $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of the $1.776 billion compensation program.The Justice Department said the program will award both formal apologies and monetary compensation.Mr. Blanche told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that the program is similar to a $680 million fund set up during the Obama administration to give payments to Native Americans who claimed they had been discriminated against by the Department of Agriculture.“It is true that this is unusual. That is true, but it is not unprecedented,” Mr. Blanche said.Democrats on the subcommittee pointed out to Mr. Blanche that a judge approved payments made under the Obama administration program and there was no such oversight in the new fund.Mr. Blanche said the decision on any payments would be made by a five-member commission, four of whom Mr. Blanche will appoint and one other member to be determined after receiving congressional input.Mr. Blanche also faced questions about the fund from some Republican members of the panel. When Senator Susan Collins asked how the commissioners would decide on the claims and compensation, Mr. Blanche did not provide specifics but said it would be up to them and he would not be involved in the review.Mr. Blanche also would not commit to saying that people who had assaulted police officers during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot would be barred from receiving payments. President Trump has called the arrests politically motivated and on the first day of his second term, pardoned all of the nearly 1,600 people associated with the violence, including about 600 charged or convicted of obstruction of law enforcement or assaults that resulted in 140 injured police officers. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, later pressed Mr. Blanche on whether he would discourage commissioners from compensating anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer.“I will definitely encourage the commissioners to take everything into account when determining who should get compensation,” Mr. Blanche said.Mr. Merkley pressed the acting attorney general to speak more specifically about the January 6 rioters. Mr. Blanche repeated that the decision on any payments would be made by the commission. “I’m disappointed that you feel it’s acceptable that those who are convicted (are eligible),” Mr. Merkley said.“I didn’t say that I found it acceptable, senator,” Mr. Blanche interjected. “I don’t think it is the attorney general’s job to encourage commissioners to do or not do anything.”“You have complete power over who you appoint so you have huge influence,” Mr. Merkley said. “You are going to be evaluating the inclinations and the attitudes of those who will serve and, certainly, this looks extraordinary,” Mr. Merkley said.Mr. Blanche said that Democrats are mistaken in characterizing the program as a “slush fund” for Mr. Trump’s friends.“There is no limitation, so, whether you’re Hunter Biden or whether you’re another individual who believed they were a victim of weaponization, they can all apply to this fund,” Mr. Blanche said. “It doesn’t mean the commissioners will agree.”Vice President Vance echoed that sentiment at a White House press briefing. He said the intention is not to give any money to people who attacked a police officer but turn the page on abuses by compensating victims of lawfare under President Biden’s Justice Department.“We do have people who were accused of attacking law enforcement officers. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to completely ignore some of the claims they’re going to make,” Mr. Vance said. “We’re going to evaluate these things on a case-by-case basis and if we think that somebody, whatever they were accused of, if we think that somebody was unfairly prosecuted and deserves just compensation, then that’s what this fund is going to exist to provide. It’s just going to correct a wrong, and I think that’s a good thing.”

Blanche Defends $1.776 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Under Questioning From Senate Committee

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