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WASHINGTON: Todd Blanche cleared a major hurdle on Tuesday on his path to nomination for US attorney general, as Republicans voted to advance him out of committee on a party-line vote. But questions persist about a deal he said would end President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponisation” fund and narrow an agreement giving Trump immunity from audits of past tax returns.
Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer and the current acting attorney general, agreed on Sunday to amend the terms of the fund and the tax immunity deal in order to win the backing of two holdout Republican senators, although critics say the amendments do not go far enough.
He issued orders that he said ended the fund, and directed that the related tax immunity agreement only barred audits on past tax returns of Trump, his son and their family business. The agreement, though, allows for tax audits on future tax returns.
“You even have conservatives coming out and saying these are not worth the paper they are drawn on,” Senator Cory Booker said at Tuesday’s hearing.
