Amna Nawaz
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WATCH: Sen. Merkley questions Blanche in Justice Department budget hearing
Posted
May 19, 2026
Views
11,098
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May 19, 2026
11,098
268
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7:42Now PlayingSen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., questioned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday in a hearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.
Blanche was invited to testify on President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request for the Justice Department, but was expected to face questions on a number of issues.
On Monday, the Justice Department announced an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of a settlement with Trump to end a lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns. The nearly $1.8 billion fund would offer payouts to Trump allies who claim they had been unfairly targeted by the Justice Department under the Biden administration.
Government watchdogs and Democratic lawmakers blasted the creation of the fund as corruption, saying it could reward – with taxpayer money – people who had helped storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, among others.
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