{"id":65611,"date":"2026-07-29T11:08:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/cornyn-cancels-meeting-with-todd-blanche-as-doj-confirmation-vote-looms\/65611\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T11:08:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:08:13","slug":"cornyn-cancels-meeting-with-todd-blanche-as-doj-confirmation-vote-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/cornyn-cancels-meeting-with-todd-blanche-as-doj-confirmation-vote-looms\/65611\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornyn Cancels Meeting with Todd Blanche as DOJ Confirmation Vote Looms"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)<\/strong> has canceled a scheduled meeting with <strong>Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche<\/strong>, citing the <strong>Department of Justice&#39;s (DOJ)<\/strong> refusal to resolve outstanding concerns regarding a controversial settlement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA)<\/strong> has set a <strong>4:00 PM deadline<\/strong> today for a resolution; otherwise, the committee vote scheduled for tomorrow may be in jeopardy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cornyn<\/strong> stated he will not vote to advance Blanche&#39;s nomination without a formal resolution regarding the <strong>$1.8 billion &quot;anti-weaponization&quot; fund<\/strong> and tax audit immunity for the President.<\/li>\n<li>The nomination requires <strong>unanimous Republican support<\/strong> in the committee to advance, as Democrats are expected to vote against Blanche in a block.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The confirmation path for <strong>Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche<\/strong> hit a significant roadblock on Wednesday as <strong>Senator John Cornyn (<a href=\"\/stock\/TX\">R-TX<\/a>)<\/strong> abruptly canceled a morning meeting with the nominee. Cornyn expressed frustration with the <strong>Department of Justice<\/strong>, stating, \u201cThey know what they need to do but they simply refuse to do it,\u201d signaling a breakdown in negotiations over a high-profile legal settlement involving President Trump.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chairman Chuck Grassley (<a href=\"\/stock\/IA\">R-IA<\/a>)<\/strong> has reportedly informed Cornyn that a decision must be reached by <strong>4:00 PM<\/strong> today to determine if the <strong>Senate Judiciary Committee<\/strong> vote, currently slated for Thursday morning, can proceed. The delay follows weeks of scrutiny over Blanche\u2019s role in a settlement that originally included a <strong>$1.776 billion &quot;anti-weaponization&quot; fund<\/strong> and broad tax audit protections for the President and his family.<\/p>\n<p>Cornyn\u2019s primary demand is a <strong>written guarantee<\/strong> that the controversial fund is permanently abolished and that the scope of tax audit immunity is strictly limited. While Blanche testified earlier this month that the fund was a &quot;moot issue&quot; and &quot;dead,&quot; Cornyn has remained skeptical, noting that the underlying settlement documents have not been formally amended to his satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>The stakes for the <strong>Trump administration<\/strong> are high, as the <strong>Senate Judiciary Committee<\/strong> is narrowly divided. With Democrats firmly opposed to Blanche\u2014citing his history as Trump&#39;s personal defense lawyer and his handling of <strong>Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong> files\u2014Republicans cannot afford a single defection. <strong>Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)<\/strong> has also expressed reservations, though his concerns have focused more on Blanche&#39;s willingness to meet with survivors of Epstein&#39;s abuse.<\/p>\n<p>If the <strong>4:00 PM deadline<\/strong> passes without a resolution, Grassley may be forced to postpone the vote for a second time. The committee previously delayed the vote on July 23 due to similar unresolved concerns and member absences. A failure to move the nomination out of committee this week would likely push the confirmation process past the upcoming <strong>August recess<\/strong>, leaving the leadership of the <strong>Justice Department<\/strong> in a continued state of acting capacity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has canceled a scheduled meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, citing the Department 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