Collins Opposes Todd Blanche for AG, Leaving Nominee 1 GOP Vote From Defeat

Q: What happens to the billions in federal funds now that this highly controversial legal settlement has been abruptly canceled?

The money is not being paid out through the canceled fund. Justice Department officials have said no money was transferred from the federal Judgment Fund, no claims process was launched, and no administrators were appointed, so the roughly $1.8 billion remains with the federal government rather than moving into a separate compensation program. Under the terms announced for the fund, any unused money would have reverted to the Treasury anyway. Because the fund has now been terminated before implementation, there appears to be nothing to “recover” from claimants or managers; the funds were never disbursed in the first place. What happens next is mainly legal and administrative. Courts have already blocked or questioned the arrangement, and the administration has represented that it is not moving forward with the program. If that position holds, the money simply stays available to the government under normal federal budget and Judgment Fund rules instead of being earmarked for “anti-weaponization” claims. The bigger unresolved issue is not the cash itself, but the underlying settlement. Parts of that agreement — especially the tax-audit protections for Trump and related parties — remain under scrutiny and, in some rulings, have been narrowed or voided. So while the fund money is effectively staying put, litigation over the broader settlement and whether any related federal obligations survive is still active.

3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 3

Susan Collins said Tuesday she will vote against Todd Blanche’s confirmation, citing actions she said further eroded Justice Department independence and tightening a floor vote expected later this week.
Blanche can now lose only one more Republican, with all Democrats opposed and Mitch McConnell still absent, putting fresh pressure on Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy after the Judiciary Committee advanced him.
The nomination had regained momentum only after Blanche rescinded a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” and clarified parts of an IRS deal that had won over Thom Tillis and John Cornyn.
Collins also pointed to that IRS settlement, Trump’s effort to indict two sitting senators and Blanche’s abortion-medication comments, underscoring broader concerns that his interim tenure has politicized the department.
A confirmation would likely end the current lull in some politically sensitive probes and hand Blanche a Justice Department already facing immigration cases, fraud enforcement and election-related disputes before the midterms.