How the $1.8B Ally Compensation Fund Sank Todd Blanche’s AG Nomination Hopes
(SeaPRwire) –
By: Gavin Thorne
Lisa Murkowski’s public opposition to Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination isn’t just a single defection. It’s the first visible crack in the GOP’s unified front for Trump’s executive branch picks. The Alaska senator joins Maine’s Susan Collins, already a known critic of Trump’s judicial nominees. This move narrows Blanche’s confirmation path drastically, especially with Mitch McConnell absent from Senate sessions. Even swing GOP senators like Bill Cassidy of Louisiana are now under far more scrutiny from both parties and constituents.
Murkowski’s opposition hinges on three key DOJ actions she finds unacceptable. First, the department’s handling of sealed Jeffrey Epstein case files. Second, a sweeping tax audit immunity deal for Trump and his immediate family. Third, the proposed $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by federal prosecutors. She explicitly stated she lacks confidence Blanche will check the worst impulses of the current administration, a rare public rebuke from a sitting GOP senator.
The math for Blanche’s confirmation is already razor-thin. If all Senate Democrats oppose him, he can only lose two Republican votes. McConnell’s absence from sessions removes a key vote counter, so the margin is even slimmer than initially calculated. Cornyn and Tillis had threatened to block Blanche over Trump’s IRS tax lawsuit settlement, but backed down after Blanche rescinded the $1.8 billion fund.
The deal between Blanche, Cornyn, and Tillis came with critical fine print that rarely made national headlines. The tax audit immunity only applies to claims open at the time of the settlement. It does not protect Trump from future tax filings, and only covers Trump, his two sons, and the Trump Organization. Cornyn and Tillis pushed for that clarification specifically, to quiet their own concerns about the deal’s scope.
Murkowski’s biggest concern isn’t just Blanche’s past actions or stated policies. It’s the future of the $1.8 billion compensation fund. She noted the Senate only has formal leverage over the proposal while Blanche’s nomination is pending. Once the Senate votes to confirm or reject him, that leverage disappears entirely. Trump has repeatedly defended the fund and threatened to push it forward if Republicans don’t back Blanche’s nomination.
If even one more Republican senator joins Murkowski and Collins, Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general will fail outright.
Author bio: Gavin Thorne, an investigative journalist tracking special interests and legislative affairs based in Washington, D.C.