Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) revealed Wednesday that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged the Trump administration's $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund was a mistake, during a courtesy meeting before Blanche's confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department. Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Blanche told him, "What more can I do? What more can I say? I made a mistake," when confronted about the fund.
The fund, created as part of a settlement after President Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, drew widespread condemnation from both parties. Blanche had previously told lawmakers the Justice Department was "not moving forward with the fund. Period," but resisted calls to formalize that stance in writing.
Durbin said he pressed Blanche to make the statement credible, and Blanche responded that he would work with Congress to "codify" the fund's termination. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on the exchange.
The fund and a recent court ruling finding collusion between the DOJ and Trump in dismissing his case are expected to be key topics during Blanche's confirmation hearing. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled there "was never a question as to who would prevail" in the suit and called it an attempt to "manipulate the judicial process."
Durbin said Blanche criticized the judge during their meeting, claiming he was "a victim of a hit job by this judge in Florida." This comes as over 1,200 former DOJ staff have urged the Senate to reject Blanche, arguing he would politicize the department.
Democrats have invited survivors of deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to attend Blanche's hearing, offering the nominee a chance to address them directly. This mirrors a past hearing where former Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to acknowledge Epstein victims present, a moment that became a defining image of her tenure.
Durbin described Blanche as a smooth operator who could deflect tough questions, including those about pardons—a process traditionally involving the Justice Department but ultimately decided by the president. "He's a good lawyer, and he's been at this a long time as a prosecutor and defense lawyer, and he has a way about him that is—it's not an 'aw shucks,' but it's pretty close to it," Durbin said.
The fund's controversy and the judge's ruling are expected to dominate the hearing, with Democrats pressing Blanche on his commitment to depoliticizing the DOJ. The Epstein survivors' presence adds another layer of scrutiny, as Blanche faces questions about his past legal work and potential conflicts of interest.
