August 5, 2026 - WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Senator John Cornyn released the following:

Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered the following remarks before voting to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General out of committee and to the Senate floor. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“I’ve been very clear, as others have, that in order to support Mr. Blanche’s nomination, I needed specific assurances in writing about a release signed by the Acting Attorney General last May.”

“While this may sound like nitpicking to some, it’s critically important, not only to me but to other members of the Senate.”

“This past Sunday, Senator Tillis and I came to an agreement after numerous meetings with the Department of Justice and Mr. Blanche on an agency-interpretative guidance document that reaffirms what Mr. Blanche said in his sworn testimony in front of the committee. This document will help limit the substance and scope of the audit protection to the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, and it limits the parties to the audit settlement to the plaintiffs – the people who brought the lawsuit – and no one else.”

“The DOJ has repeatedly said that this is their legal position and interpretation.”

“Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the Department to live up to this in future litigation, and I will vote to advance him out of the committee today.”

“We need a stabilizing force at the Department of Justice, and Mr. Blanche deserves the opportunity to provide that.”

“President Trump needs someone in this role, as well, with a strong legal mind, but who also is close enough to him to give him confidential legal advice, to tell him hard truths.”

“I would advise Mr. Blanche not to be afraid to capitalize on that earned trust when necessary for the good of the country.”

“I’m glad we could address these issues here in committee so that this nomination can move forward.”

Sens. Cornyn and Tillis this week announced the successful negotiation of written, legally enforceable documents clarifying the anti-weaponization fund and the IRS audit release included in the Settlement Agreement signed by Acting Attorney General Blanche last spring. Earlier this month in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General, Sen. Cornyn questioned Blanche on the Settlement Agreement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, including the anti-weaponization fund and IRS audit immunity.

Video can be found here.

Source: Senator John Cornyn