Blanche Pledges ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Is Dead, But Senators Will Push Amendments To Block Future Payout Schemes

President Trump’s “anti-weaponization fund” is now dead, according to attorney general Todd Blanche. His words may not be enough to quell Republicans’ concerns on Capitol Hill, however, as some senators want a provision included in their immigration enforcement spending bill to ensure no such funds are ever set up in the future. Shortly after the president settled his case with the IRS and announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund, some Republicans began raising concerns that money could go to those who rioted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Others thought the whole scheme was unnecessary, given the Justice Department settles civil cases all the time. During an appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Mr. Blanche said that the Justice Department would not be “moving forward” with the fund now or at any time in the future. He also testified that the money would stay with the federal government and not be given to Mr. Trump.The pledge not to tap into the funds may not be enough to convince lawmakers, however. “I actually will feel nervous until such time as we can figure out a way to make that whole practice illegal. I had no idea that the administration had that sort of authority,” Senator Thom Tillis told The New York Sun. “I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure that 1776 fund never remits a single dime.”“If it’s dead and it’s not gonna come back then (the White House) would be supportive and endorse an amendment to make sure that it never comes back,” Mr. Tillis said. He plans to introduce an amendment to block the anti-weaponization fund during the debate on the immigration enforcement bill. “I’ve got a number of concerns,” Senator John Cornyn told the Sun. When asked if Mr. Blanche could say anything to assuage those concerns, Mr. Cornyn said that Mr. Blanche’s words mean little because “anything he says can be changed by the president.”Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his Republican colleagues, Mr. Thune said that they had had a “robust” discussion about how to move forward with the immigration enforcement bill as the anti-weaponization fund and the president’s ballroom money hang over the process. “As I’ve conveyed to you before, everything comes down to a function of math — it’s, ‘Do we have the votes, do we have 50 votes to execute on getting a bill like that across the floor?’” Mr Thune said. He added that Mr. Blanche told him in a “definitive” way that the anti-weaponization fund is, in fact, dead. President Trump does not seem terribly pleased to be giving up his fund. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, he shared an article titled, “The Truth the Media Won’t Tell You About the Anti-Weaponization Fund” from the outlet “Weaponization Watch.”“The money goes into a fund for claimants,” reads the article. “The fund also says there are no partisan requirements to file a claim, which means Republicans, Democrats, and independents can all seek review if they believe they were harmed by weaponized lawfare.”

Blanche Pledges ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ Is Dead, But Senators Will Push Amendments To Block Future Payout Schemes

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