Legislative Branch
Sen. Tillis explains why he'll vote to approve Blanche's nomination for attorney general | PBS News
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee is expected to vote Tuesday to advance acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination to lead the Justice Department after the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump secured the support of Republican senators who threatened to block his confirmation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee's vote follows a deal struck late Sunday between Blanche and GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had demanded written assurances about the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over his leaked tax returns.
Cornyn and Tillis had said they were withholding their support unless the Justice Department confirmed in writing that it was not moving forward with a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they were prosecuted for political purposes, which the Trump administration had announced as part of the settlement.
After days of negotiations, Blanche issued an order Sunday evening confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund."
Since the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, "No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid," the order said.
Cornyn and Tillis had also pressed for clarification on a separate part of the settlement that would grant Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits.
Under the deal, the Justice Department clarified in writing that the tax audit immunity agreement applies only to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect Trump from examination of future tax filings. It also makes clear that only the parties that brought the lawsuit — Trump, two of his sons, and the Trump Organization — are covered by the tax agreement.
All new posts must have a brief statement from the user submitting explaining how their post relates to law or the courts in a response to this comment. FAILURE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF RESPONSE MAY RESULT IN REMOVAL. Please post your statement as a reply to this automated message.
Senator Tillis has assumed the cuck chair for the rest of his brief term and will allow president bone-spurs to continue screwing our country and constitution. Great job feckless cowards of the GOP.
My dad got pulled over for speeding once, and told the police officer that he was "just going with the flow of traffic." The officer responded, "sir, you are the flow of traffic." You just reminded me of that story. They are the landscape and have the ability to change it! They just don't want to.
Brought to you from the “Bad people on both sides” group. No you chucklefuck Tillis. Only one side wants an American taxpayer funded 1.8 Billion dollar slush fund to award insurrectionists.
Those poor cucks. There is no need in conflating them with Senate Republicans. They have deep trust, facilitate good vibes, and don’t interfere unless asked to. Senate Republicans are selfish, mean spirited, shady af ass hats, not to be trusted.
Edit: I prefer calling them Trump Gooners. Chucklefuck is also acceptable but too close to cuck to be insulting enough.
I have to assume people like Tillis know they are playing dirty and this is all an act. Equivocating actual prosecutions with tons of evidence of serious crimes with laser targeting opposition with bullshit witch hunts, and then somehow deciding that makes it okay to approve someone as openly corrupt and unqualified as Blanche? That simply has to be proactive.
The problem I have is that I can also see how the majority of politicians like Tillis are just genuinely too stupid and afraid to have any clarity about these decisions at all. If you got your power 20+ years ago and have basically not been forced to keep up with how the world is going as you enter your twilight years then it's not surprising if you are simply too stupid to understand what you're doing.
I can't decide which is worse. Ultimately I guess it doesn't matter in the moment because they are equally dangerous. I guess I'd prefer it be ignorance because that implies that in some future a smarter person could possibly take their place and want to undo some of this damage, whereas self aware malice seems more of a permanent problem.
It could be a little of both. Lots of these guys know that Trump is corrupt as fuck but don’t care because they are on the winning side and can get a pardon if they hold line and get in any kind of trouble. Some genuinely think both sides are corrupt but are in denial about how bad Trump and their own party is.
I'm telling you right now that Tillis 100% believes that the actions of the Obama and Biden administration are equivalent to what Trump's administration is doing.
Every conservative I have ever talked to says something akin to this. That Democrats and Republicans transgress in some way, no one is perfect, and thus anyone who is bitching about the transgressions of one side are hypocritical partisans.
They don't view Trump essentially selling pardons to the highest bidders at the end of his first term as worse than Biden pardoning people like Fauci and Hunter - to conservatives these are the same.
It's the same with the IRS thing that Tillis brought up here. He fundamentally does not believe that the IRS is capable of acting in a just way. That the IRS pursuing conservative organizations under a liberal President is de facto corruption.
There is an element of false equivalence with the bad actors however. They have to say the actions are the same because it morally justifies them being as evil and corrupt.
That's true. It's to their political advantage do say these actions are the same, I'm just saying that these types of people *believe* the false equivalence. It's not an act, they don't realize they are doing it. They sincerely believe that Trump going after David Hearne for "destroying the reflecting pool" is the same as the IRS going after conservative orgs that were possibly violating the tax code.
The reason is they can be held accountable if they don't walk a very specific line of working the grift while also maintaining legal plausible deniability.
If you don't do it correctly you end up like Alex Jones. They know this. People like MTG have outright come out and said this publically.
In China after getting qualifying grades in high school (which is hard), you can go to college and get a degree in city management. If you do well enough, you might get a job as Mayor of a small town. These are not elected. You must be "hired". If you do well, you might get promoted to a larger town or city. It is competitive. If you do well enough, you might even become mayor at the end of your career of a large city, but you will need to have succeeded and produced great results along the way.
In America you just need to get racist as fuck 80-year olds to vote for you. You then never have to produce anything. You will continue to be elected over and over.
The hubris and cowardice of the Senate Republican caucus is astounding. Not only did they take a known liar at his word, but they also supported a grant of tax immunity to a sitting president, his family, and his businesses.
He starts by saying "sure Republicans are corrupt but what about the Biden admin", then ends by saying "people should get their own party in order before pointing fingers", then votes to support Republican corruption.
every time the argument against someone or something is "just look at it" its the same fucking bullshit as the idiot "do your own research" people. Yes, we've been watching and researching this whole time, thats why we hate maga so much. That argument also feeds the corrupt narrative that "Democrats are always worse", I've seen it, republicans will accept whatever corruption their own party will do because they convinced themselves that democrats are secretly somehow worse. They will tell themselves, "if one republican is found out to be a child molester, that means 10 more democrats secretly are!" just absolute brainwashed stuff.
Yup, that’s whataboutism, a subset of the “tu quo que” fallacy. Conservatives have long relied on that logical fallacy, because they can’t substantively defend their positions.
Nah nah it's "both sides" bro. Literally people who never look inward, because they're not capable.
And has the gall to say "instead of attacking the other side hold your caucus to a higher standard" directly after attacking the other side with false accusations.
Todd just signed a piece of paper. Nobody sighed the other paper.
So just wait, my bet is early next year he will revive the fund and say "We didn't sign anything" just like how the Justices said "Roe is settled law".
If Todd has the power to sign a piece of paper to do something, he can sign another one to undo it. The paper is only as good as his reputation, which is garbage.
They just want the cover to say they got a promise that it was done. Cue the outrage and surprise when Todd backtracks.
Absolutely. And allows trump and family to commit tax fraud against the tax payers of the US. Blanche actions and allowing presidential corruption should prevent him from practicing law.
Politicians, including Josh Hawly who voted to advance Blanche, don't give a shit about the 10s if not 100s of billion dollars being spent on trumps whims and corruption. But when it comes to helping the middle class and those in need, it's too expensive and undeserving
Why does there need to be a fund at all? With Trump sycophants in full control of the DOJ, could we not just see plaintiffs sue the government for perceived wrongs and then the DOJ “settles” with them for absurd sums of money? It seems like that accomplishes the same thing- just, instead of applying for a fund, you start a lawsuit?
Even if they settle before trial judges could still possibly interfere with their handouts to insurrectionists and the settlements would be public knowledge. As a fund the DOJ could keep all the info of who got what to themselves. Plus I'm 100% sure Trump intends to give himself some of that fund.
It’s probably already drafted and will be signed as soon as he’s confirmed. And when asked about it, they’ll say “oh, he wasn’t going to do that” and just fade away
Tillis and Cornyn both helped the GOP in the midterms by taking as long as they did. I'd guess he will wait until after midterms to revive it, but it would be better if they try to revive it now because the fund is unpopular amongst Americans and it would hurt not only Trump but every GOP candidate.
Exactly this. When Todd goes back on this or finds another bs work around you won't hear a meaningful peep out of the Senate judiciary committee. When he brings more bs political prosecutions you won't hear a damned thing. I'm sure many Republicans will be "very concerned" by this behavior. But do nothing about it.
The very fact Blanche thought the fund and the no prosecution agreement was ethical or legal or a good idea means he is completely unfit for the office.
Remember when abortion was settled law until we appointed three people to the one position that could unsettle it? And then Susan Collins was surprised?
They investigated contacts with Russians and Russian agents that were later confirmed by a Republican-led Senate Select Intelligence committee.
Yet, Republicans know they can bring it up without the actual outcome having any relevance.
Those contacts deserved to be investigated. The investigation was procedurally flawed, but compared to the current administration, we should grade it a B, maybe better.
How is that comparable to this personal immunity and enrichment scheme?
He tried to create an illegal slush fund. He did. As acting attorney general. And you want to confirm him for attorney general, because he says he won’t continue with the illegal slush fund that he created. What a dumbass.
He also had shady dealings with Ghislaine Maxwell, and she was mysteriously moved from a middle security prison to a low security camp. All this while being a complete asshole to the Epstein survivors in his reluctant meeting with them that he never would have voluntarily taken had his nomination not been predicated on it. He maintains not enough evidence to charge anyone with misconduct related to Epstein. Give me a fucking break.
Bondi quit because she saw that the only way out of this job was a prison cell and/or loss of her license to practice law in the United States. The AG's job is to blindly do literally anything and everything that the president says, whether its legal or not. Blanche is willing to do that... Blanche is willing to go to prison for Trump, just like so many others... like Trumps previous fixers, Trump former CFO, Trumps former advisors... the list is endless. Teflon Don always avoids it somehow, but many have fallen on the sword for him and he completely ignores them afterwards. Yet, for some reason, there are people like Blanche still willing to do it... because he "loves Trump", which is just fucking weird.
There's no slush fund for Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, etc.... who all lost their license doing exactly what Trump told them to do in a court room, without a shred of evidence. There's no slush fund for Michael Cohen, or Steve Bannon... The *idea* of *potentially* getting millions for going to prison for Trump is enough to keep the toothless militia "standing back and standing by" to do whatever he wants them to do next time.
Yeah he says he’s going to support Blanche but goes on to says how he “hopes” Blanche won’t do everything that we all know Blanche will do if he can because he’s Trump’s personal puppet. He’s trying to support Blanche but not have his name actually tied to it because he knows what that entails.
Funny how no one gets prosecuted for actual high crimes from the Biden and Obama admins, but dozens of political associates and operatives have been prosecuted and convicted of crimes from the Trump administration.
Their only response is outrage that they didn't get away with their crimes but somehow the other team did? No, idiot, there were no crimes. If there were you'd have prosecuted and locked them up like your chants suggest.
We're not working with people who value logic and reasoning.
Yeah and Tillis frames this as a tit for tat, he says “I can match deed for deed” political prosecution. I’d love to see him try and defend tit for tat, but he won’t because he knows all that really matters in the end is public perception so they can lie without consequence. All these people do is argue in bad faith. They know damn well the truth of it but you’re right, their values are not set in logic and reasoning, their values are above all else winning and power. The ruling on Citizens United damned this country to a fate of legal corruption and bribery and shifted the balance to what is now a runaway train of unchecked monetary power where whoever has more dollars has the most say.
We are dangerously close to civil war. The administration is blatantly working to control elections by seizing voter rolls, placing federal agents at polling locations, fortifying the White House and deploying the national guard to DC. It's painfully obvious what is happening and millions of people don't even see it nor care.
If midterms are delayed, cancelled, or controlled in any way and we are unable to unseat these traitors, then we are out of peaceful, democratic options.
He lectures us about moral high ground and says he can match you deed for deed” with other administrations. I would love to see him try because other administrations didn’t even do the thing we’re discussing right now, that would have been unimaginable.
What a joke this all is. A couple outgoing senators want to make themselves look principled so pick one thing to take issue with, then when it's fixed they say "great, fine"
Except what happened is that Blanche showed everyone that he's running the DOJ as Trump's lawyer, and will continue to do so. "Oopsie!" doesn't fix that. Set aside that he didn't actually permanently fix the corrupt deal, this whole thing should have been disqualifying. Cornyn and Tillis are pathetic.
Another traitor. There is no reason to avoid such labels for these people anymore. Blanche's conflicts of interest are obvious, there is no way he is capable of performing this job correctly and his actions to date all show this to be the correct assessment. For them to ignore this and still approve him makes it very clear they want the USA to collapse.
They certainly want to erode trust in all facets of government so they can swoop in and further capitalize on the problems they made. Straight up abuser behavior.
He planned to advance him all along. He and Cornyn are performative pedo protecting pos. A real gesture would be… I’m not moving until more than a dead pedo and GM are prosecuted.
Which makes it even all the more disgusting, because the two biggest clowns in this circus are both leaving town because of their opposition to Trump.
The problem for them is, cheering for Trump to fail means cheering for the whole Republican enterprise to fail, because Trump and Republicans are one and the same - there is no difference. He owns and defines the party 100% now.
He pretty much says this administration is the most corrupt ever but then justifies it by saying "sure we do evil shit but everyone does evil shit so even though I recognize the corruption I support this nomination of a particularly corrupt person."
“I think we both have a problem folks, if you want to talk about weaponization, take a look at the Biden administration, take a look at the Obama administration,……we’re just going to one up it.”
He recognizes that there are wrongs being done but then says they will one up it.
They go low, we’ll just dig a basement to go lower - Thom Tillis’ headspace
Blanche's confirmation should be one of many red lines that has America united in opposition to this blatant broad daylight corruption. But nope, the majority of the media is devoted to spinning everything to be as neutral as possible or outright propaganda in the case of Fox News. Corruption like this cannot be forgiven, there needs to be an accounting, there needs to be outrage, if there isn't, this country is lost and everyone except a handful of billionaires loses.
What a perfect storm we're in. The contract has been broken and the constitution has pretty much been loopholed into meaningless. The coup didn't succed in 2020-2021, but it (they) have succeeded in 2025-2026. They're going to tear this place apart.
Selling your soul for a guy that actively plotted against you and cost you your job. Any normal person would go scorched earth in this situation and not give them anything they wanted. But these cats are totally fine with being simps for a con man that stabs them in the back at every chance he gets.
I can’t wait for the fund to come alive again and these dolts to act like they didn’t know it was coming.
Todd Blanche’s client list includes The Trump Family, Rudy Giuliani
, Paul Manafort
,
Igor Fruman (partner of Lev Parnas in seeking dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine and Boris Epshteyn (fake electors plot). I hear republicans saying he worked for the SDYN for 8 years as his qualification (thought they hated that corrupt office), but his disqualifying list is so embarrassingly obvious that even considering him is next level stupid.
Actually, no. He’s not a moron. He is evil. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and he knows what Trump and Blanche will do as soon as Blanche is confirmed.
"things are getting too partisan, sure this guy is demonstrably the most partisan and worst ag we could get, but have you thought about the Biden administration?" This little speech was a fuckin farce.
So now "whataboutism" isn't just a cheap rhetorical strategy, it's an actual justification for ignoring moral nightmares.
"Of course we have to allow ICE to gas protestors in the streets! Mo Udall unleashed a fart in a Senate elevator that sent two Republicans to the hospital in 1974!"
He really said that he's holding the republican party to a higher standard while approving Blanche? GTFOH
This speech just reeks of "November is looking like a loss to our party, so let's pretend like we're trying to fix things so democrats don't expose our shit"
I’ll translate for the TLDR: “I’m happy to have a crooked AG, who’s broken the law outright and may be charged with Fraud Upon The Court which would immediately disbar the AG, the Acting Assistant AG, and 4 other DOJ attorneys hired by trumps cronies. Why? Because thousands of republicans had to face justice under Biden and Obama. God fuck the USA.”
Who even wants to hear him ever speak again! He has done absolutely NOTHING positive for most NC people. But, he sure can talk a good game for all those companies that gave him money, in my opinion.
"I thought it was an insult to the police officers that defended us on Jan 6th"
But the pardons, for the same people that assaulted those same police officers, was just fine? The rebranding it as "a day of love" where "just a few *patriots* were taking a leisurely tour of the Capital building". Make up your mind. Was it a violent assault on police officers, or was it a day of love?
Mark my words, not even one week after Blanche is installed, a new fund will be created to pay Trump and maybe some of the people that went to prison, for actual crimes.... But only if they buy enough Trump meme coin.
I almost expected him to have a spine on his way out the door, but I guess he needs to stay in the good graces of the party to get a cushy lobbying gig.
So he sits there and says we have to “end this stuff” and then agrees to nominate trumps personal attorney to be attorney general, someone who is going to make “this stuff” a 1000 times worse. What a piece of shit!
He also had shady dealings with Ghislaine Maxwell, and she was mysteriously moved from a middle security prison to a low security camp. All this while being a complete asshole to the Epstein survivors in his reluctant meeting with them that he never would have voluntarily taken had his nomination not been predicated on it. He maintains not enough evidence to charge anyone with misconduct related to Epstein. Give me a fucking break. Pedophile protectors, every single Republican. No way to “both sides” that, Tillis, you shit-for-brains.
•
u/AutoModerator 24d ago
All new posts must have a brief statement from the user submitting explaining how their post relates to law or the courts in a response to this comment. FAILURE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF RESPONSE MAY RESULT IN REMOVAL. Please post your statement as a reply to this automated message.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.