Todd Blanche testified before Senate on a controversial compensation fund, declining to rule out payments to January 6 rioters.
5:38 PM
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the creation of a $1.776 billion fund designed to compensate individuals who believe they were targeted politically, during his first congressional testimony since taking the helm at the Justice Department.
Blanche appeared before a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday to address the Trump administration's budget request for the Justice Department. The fund, announced Monday and termed the "Anti-Weaponization Fund," was established to compensate President Donald Trump's allies who say they were unfairly targeted by the former Biden administration.
When questioned during the hearing, Blanche refused to rule out payments to convicted January 6, 2021, rioters and individuals related to Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse cases as part of the fund's compensation structure. The fund is consistent with the Trump administration's broader efforts to compensate the president's allies, including January 6 offenders whom Trump pardoned when he returned to office in 2025, according to Democratic senators present at the hearing.
Democrats and some Republicans questioned both the legality of the claims and the necessity of spending such substantial taxpayer dollars at a time of inflation and amid a costly war in Iran. One Democratic senator characterized the fund as "pure theft of public funds," adding that "rewarding individuals who committed crimes is obscene."
The hearing marked Blanche's first appearance before Congress since assuming his role as Acting Attorney General. His testimony came as the Justice Department seeks approval for its budget allocation, with the controversial compensation fund now a focal point of legislative scrutiny.
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