Trump's attorney general nominee hits snag as senator withholds support

Todd Blanche's bid for Senate confirmation as U.S. attorney general faced a potential setback on Wednesday when Republican Senator John Cornyn cited unresolved concerns over a controversial $1.8 billion fund tied to Trump allies. Cornyn's concerns center on provisions of President Donald Trump's settlement with his own administration, including a proposed $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' for Trump's allies and an agreement that could give Trump and his associates protections from tax audits unavailable to ordinary taxpayers. 'I'm not prepared to vote yes' on Blanche's nomination, Cornyn told reporters. Cornyn said there would be no need to hold a meeting with Blanche if the Justice Department provided the documents to back up what Blanche testified to under oath during his confirmation hearing. Blanche, who served as Trump's personal defense lawyer before his second term, is already serving as acting attorney general, but he needs the backing of every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance his nomination. Blanche submitted a proposal in writing on Wednesday to Cornyn and key Republicans that would 'put the fund to bed,' according to a person familiar with the matter. Cornyn said that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has set a 4 p.m. (2000 GMT) deadline on Wednesday for deciding on whether to cancel Thursday's meeting to vote on the Blanche nomination. 'There's plenty of time to resolve this,' Cornyn said.