Sen. Murkowski to Oppose Blanche Nom.  08/07 06:43

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will 
oppose Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general, narrowing the 
confirmation path for President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Justice 
Department.

   The Alaska senator said in a statement that she is concerned the Trump 
administration could proceed with its proposed fund to compensate Jan. 6 
rioters even though Blanche has pledged to shelve the idea.

   Murkowski said the Senate has leverage over the fund, which the Republican 
senator wants, only because Blanche's nomination is pending. That leverage 
would be gone if he is confirmed, she said.

   Blanche won over the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 12-10 vote only because 
he promised Republican holdouts that he would not pursue the payout fund.

   Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, but Sen. Mitch McConnell of 
Kentucky is not attending Senate sessions, which means Blanche can only afford 
to lose two Republican votes if all Democrats oppose him. Republican Sen. Susan 
Collins of Maine has also said she will oppose his nomination, and another key 
Republican, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, has not said how he will vote.

   The Senate Judiciary vote followed a deal struck late Sunday between Blanche 
and GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had 
been threatening to block his confirmation over the settlement of Trump's 
lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding the president's leaked 
tax returns.

   Cornyn and Tillis backed Blanche's nomination after the Justice Department 
confirmed in writing that it wasn't moving forward with a $1.8 billion fund to 
compensate Trump allies who believe they were unfairly investigated or 
prosecuted by the Justice Department.

   After days of negotiations, Blanche issued an order Sunday evening 
confirming "beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund."

   But Democrats say Blanche's order doesn't go far enough to prevent the Trump 
administration from reviving the fund after the acting attorney general's 
confirmation and have called for legislation to permanently bar it.