Todd Blanche, the US acting attorney general, said on Tuesday the government was withdrawing a proposal to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people claiming to be victims of unfair prosecution, amid a revolt among Republicans who saw it as an ethical and political disaster.
“We’re not moving forward with the fund, period,” Mr. Blanche told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee. He repeated himself to make clear that he meant the fund proposal would be permanently withdrawn.
His statement could break an impasse with Senate Republicans, who had demanded the fund be scrapped as a precondition for passing a major immigration enforcement bill. Opponents had described the proposal as a slush fund for allies of President Trump.
But Mr. Blanche said he would leave in place an order he signed last month that would, in effect, block the I.R.S. from investigating Mr. Trump, his family and his businesses for existing tax violations.
“Nothing has changed with that,” said Mr. Blanche, who added that the tax order would not shield Mr. Trump and his associates from future investigations. Related News 127m NINs later, Nigeria still faces a digital identity usage gap Dangote refinery can be global jet fuel supplier, CEO says Digital loans, digital trauma: Inside Nigeria’s lending boom and its toll on mental health
