Blanche Sits Through Five Hours of Grilling on IRS Deal, Epstein Files, and Kash Patel's Conduct

Todd Blanche spent roughly five hours in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 15, defending his record as acting attorney general and making his case to hold the job permanently. The dead $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' came up again, but it was far from the only thing senators wanted answered.

The Fund Question Won't Die, Even Though Blanche Says It's Dead

Blanche told Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, flatly: "The settlement fund is just not moving forward. No money went from the treasury to any other account," according to The Guardian. He repeated the line "there is no fund" for reporters covering the hearing.

Cornyn wasn't fully convinced. He noted that President Trump, as the plaintiff in the underlying IRS lawsuit, never signed off in writing on killing the fund, meaning Trump could theoretically sue over it later. Cornyn told reporters during a recess that the fund "could be revived at a future date," a concern Reason highlighted as central to why the whole arrangement looks less like a legal settlement and more like a favor Blanche extended and then walked back under political pressure.

A real settlement between adverse parties can't be unwound by one side alone. Blanche's ability to kill the fund unilaterally, as U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams pointed out this week, suggests this may not have been a genuine adversarial dispute. Reason called it Trump's "settlement with myself."

Schiff Presses on Whether Trump Is Shielded From Future Tax Claims

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California asked Blanche directly whether the settlement gives Trump cover on this year's tax filing for income including more than $1 billion in crypto-related earnings disclosed on his annual financial statement, according to CBS News.

Blanche said no. "He hasn't filed taxes yet, so when he files taxes, there's no protection, based upon this agreement," Blanche told Schiff. Schiff also asked whether Blanche personally drafted the one-page document declaring the IRS and Treasury "FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED" from pursuing claims tied to earlier tax returns. Blanche said he didn't write it and doesn't know who did.

Epstein Survivors in the Room, Durbin Accuses Blanche of Dodging

The hearing's witness list included Dani Bensky, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, according to Fox News. Blanche defended the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files release, acknowledging "mistakes" that exposed identifying details of survivors through redaction errors. He said only about 1% of the documents needed fixing and that corrections were made quickly, per The Guardian.

Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, pressed Blanche to meet personally with survivors present at the hearing. Blanche said he was barred from doing so. Durbin wasn't satisfied, accusing him of "dancing on the head of a pin" to dodge responsibility.

Kash Patel's Conduct Becomes a Flashpoint

Democrats used the hearing to press Blanche on unrelated allegations about FBI Director Kash Patel, who has denied under oath claims of heavy drinking and unexplained absences. He called them "baseless," according to The Guardian. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked Blanche point-blank whether he was confident Patel wasn't drinking on the job and whether his travel was cover for personal trips. Blanche called it "an extraordinarily obnoxious question" and said he has "full faith" in Patel.

Reporters' Subpoenas and Polling-Place Agents

Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, questioned Blanche over subpoenas issued last week seeking to compel New York Times reporters to testify before a federal grand jury, according to Fox News. Blanche confirmed he personally authorized FBI Director Patel's request. Welch said afterward he would vote no on Blanche's confirmation, telling reporters, "His actions make it pretty clear that his job, as he sees it, is to represent the personal interests of the president, as opposed to the constitut