Blanche attorney general confirmation advances

Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, is on track to become the next US Attorney General after Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis dropped their opposition to his nomination. Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April, issued a written order over the weekend rescinding the so-called 'anti-weaponization fund' and limiting the audit immunity agreement with Trump, his two eldest sons, and the The Trump Organization to apply only retroactively to past tax years. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on his nomination on Tuesday, with the full Republican-controlled Senate expected to vote later in the week. Senate Democrats remain united in opposition, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticizing the deal as insufficient. Blanche has also faced criticism from victims of Jeffrey Epstein over his handling of investigative files. The nomination follows a controversial legal settlement between Trump and the government he controls, stemming from Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the illegal disclosure of his tax records. Federal judges have blocked the fund and condemned the tax settlement, which could help Trump avoid past liabilities of up to $100 million.