Key Republican Senator Calls Todd Blanche Answers ‘Not Good Enough’

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wasn't impressed by Todd Blanche's testimony about President Donald Trump's self-serving tax settlement before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, and he's not impressed by Blanche's follow-up answers, either. 

"It's not good enough," Cornyn told HuffPost on Tuesday. 

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Due to Republicans' slim majority, Cornyn could single-handedly block Blanche's confirmation as attorney general in the Judiciary Committee. He's never been the sort of Republican to go against his party in such a high-profile way, but he's also just had his political career ended by Trump endorsing his primary opponent. Another member of the committee, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), has raised similar complaints. 

At issue are the $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" and a tax immunity deal Blanche created to resolve the president's lawsuit against his own government over a past leak of his tax returns. 

Cornyn has refused to accept Blanche's public statements that the fund isn't moving forward. During Blanche's hearing last week, Cornyn pointed out the text of the "settlement agreement" says only parties to the agreement can modify its terms, meaning Blanche can't unilaterally declare it's dead. Cornyn asked if Trump and his family, who were the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, could sue to revive the fund, but Blanche said that if they tried, they would fail. 

"They can't force the Department of Justice to move forward with the Weaponization Fund," Blanche said at the hearing. 

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In written responses to follow-up questions from senators, Blanche continued to insist the fund is "dead." He also wrote that a part of the settlement freeing Trump and his family from ongoing tax enforcement "speaks for itself" even though senators questioned whether its wording would free the president and his family from investigations by agencies other than the IRS. (Another point of confusion: Blanche has claimed the immunity deal applies to only Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization; Cornyn has noted the language of the agreement frees Trump's family plus "related or affiliated individuals," including "related companies, affiliates and subsidiaries.")

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On Tuesday, Cornyn told reporters he was still struggling with Blanche's answers. Asked if he wanted Congress to pass a bill killing the fund or "written clarity" from the Justice Department, he said both would be good, but that passing a law would be more difficult. 

"The agreement says it can't be changed, but except by, you know, the parties, so that would have to be in writing," Cornyn said. 

When HuffPost noted Blanche had already provided written answers to senators, Cornyn said they weren't good enough.

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