Key GOP senator concerned over Blanche involvement in Trump IRS deal

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Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he is “concerned” about acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s role in crafting a settlement between President Trump, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Justice Department to shield Trump and his family from IRS audits for years to come.

Cornyn said he was disturbed by a federal judge’s scathing order criticizing Blanche’s role in crafting the settlement between Trump and the IRS.

“I’m concerned about that,” Cornyn said on Tuesday, one day before Blanche appears before the Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing to serve as attorney general.

“We’ll be prepared to ask him some questions about not just the weaponization fund but the tax audit issue [and] also whether or not the lawsuit that was brought was a real lawsuit or whether it was, in the words of the federal judge, collusive,” he said.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams questioned on Monday whether Trump filed his lawsuit against the IRS “in bad faith with the improper purpose of dishonestly advancing a political narrative.”

Williams referred the lawyer who brought Trump’s case against the IRS to the Florida bar for possible professional sanctions. And the judge said she would share her decision with the New York bar to consider as it reviews Blanche’s role in putting together the controversial settlement with Trump.

“The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the president,” Williams wrote in a 56-page order.

As part of the settlement, the Justice Department floated the idea of establishing a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund to compensate MAGA allies who believed they were unfairly targeted by the Biden-era Justice Department.

Trump withdrew his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for receiving immunity for himself and his family from audits for past years. Trump sued the agency after a contractor leaked his tax returns.

Cornyn is a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and his vote is critical to advancing Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general in a longer capacity to the Senate floor for a final confirmation vote.

Republicans control 12 seats on the committee and Democrats control 10. That means if one Republican flips and votes against Blanche, he would be stuck in committee, assuming all Democrats vote against him.

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Joe Biden

John Cornyn

Kathleen Williams

Todd Blanche

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