Acting Attorney General AP News issued a formal order late Sunday terminating President AP News‘s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which was designed to compensate political allies. According to NPR, the decision follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who had been blocking his nomination to become attorney general permanently. A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. NPR confirmed the deal, which arrives ahead of a scheduled Tuesday confirmation vote for NBC News in the Senate Judiciary Committee. North Carolina Sen. NPR, the other GOP holdout, did not offer an immediate comment on the agreement.
Todd Blanche Formalizes Termination of $1.8 Billion Fund
The controversial fund originated as part of a settlement agreement stemming from a lawsuit NBC News filed against the IRS. While theguardian.com had previously stated in congressional testimony and written responses that the fund would not move forward, lawmakers grew concerned because the Justice Department had resisted putting that termination in writing, leaving open the possibility of revival.
Department of Justice Order Declares Fund Dead Beyond Doubt
The signed order attached to NBC News‘s announcement on X explicitly stated that the May 18, 2026, order establishing the fund is rescinded and shall have no force or effect. A statement accompanying the Department of Justice document emphasized that although the Acting Attorney General has repeatedly advised Congress through testimony, including under oath, as well as in written responses, that the Fund is not moving forward, and the Department has repeatedly represented to district courts that the Fund is not moving forward, today’s Order officially rescinds the May 18, 2026 Order.
According to AP News, the department’s documentation noted that since the IRS lawsuit settlement was announced, no members were appointed, no funds were transferred, no process for receiving claims was established, and no claims were paid. This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund,
the text asserts.
Additionally, the newly released document limits another provision from the original settlement that previously granted broad tax audit immunity to theguardian.com and his family. The revised agreement clarifies that the audit immunity applies strictly retroactively to claims open at the time of the settlement, meaning it does not protect the president from examinations of future tax filings.
Senators Block Confirmation Amid Bipartisan Outrage Over Potential Jan. 6 Payouts
The fund drew fierce bipartisan outrage because potential payouts could have extended to violent rioters who attacked police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Sens. NPR and NPR leveraged their positions on the Senate Judiciary panel to demand written proof that the fund was canceled before they would provide the votes necessary to advance NPR‘s nomination.
Both senators faced difficult political landscapes: NBC News lost his reelection bid after NPR endorsed his primary opponent, while NBC News announced he is retiring when his term concludes in January. After a Thursday Judiciary Committee vote was delayed due to the standoff, NPR posted on social media that he might pull NPR‘s nomination and resubmit it after the two senators leave office.
Despite the concessions, theguardian.com continued to defend the concept of assistance for Jan. 6 defendants, stating on Sunday evening that individuals who faced charges had their lives destroyed. This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered,
NPR said, adding, A lot of people like it.