Lisa Murkowski says she’ll vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, imperiling his chances

Washington — Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.

The Alaska senator said in a statement on social media that she is concerned the Trump administration could proceed with its proposed fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters even though Blanche has issued a formal order terminating it. Murkowski said the Senate has leverage over the fund 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 this week 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.

Even if Blanche fails to win Senate confirmation, he can remain as acting attorney general indefinitely.