Todd Blanche is expected to be confirmed as Attorney General of the United States, reportedly with the support of 50 Republican Senators, though Senator Susan Collins has declared opposition to his nomination. Blanche previously issued an order rescinding an earlier "Anti-Weaponization Fund" established under a "Settlement Agreement" between the IRS and the President, which limited tax immunity granted to Trump and his associates by applying it retroactively.

The settlement and the fund have been described by Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida as attempts to defraud the court and American taxpayers by "ignor[ing] ethical norms, court rules, and legal authority to manipulate the judicial process [in order to] gild their efforts to gain unprecedented access to the public fisc with the patina of legitimacy." Judge Williams imposed sanctions on the parties involved, including Acting Attorney General Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.

The case involved claims by Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization against the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department, alleging reputational and financial harm and seeking at least $10 billion in damages. However, the court found no justiciable controversy because the plaintiffs and defendants were not truly adverse, as one party controlled the litigation.

Before joining the Department of Justice, Associate Attorney General Woodward represented several individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol.

Additionally, a Release Order signed solely by Acting Attorney General Blanche granted blanket immunity to all plaintiffs, their families, and affiliates, barring any current or future investigations or actions by other agencies.

The ethical implications of the settlement and the swift efforts to dismiss the case after jurisdictional questions were raised have fueled criticism of Blanche's qualifications for the Attorney General role.

Sources