WASHINGTON (AP) - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche released a formal directive late Sunday to halt President Donald Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" intended to compensate his political supporters. This step follows weeks of talks with two Republican senators who had stalled his nomination for attorney general.

A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn, one of the senators delaying Blanche's nomination, verified the agreement ahead of a Tuesday confirmation vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The other GOP senator, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, offered no immediate response.

Blanche stated during a June hearing that the Justice Department would not proceed with the fund to reimburse those claiming unfair prosecution, amid bipartisan criticism over the chance that violent rioters from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack might qualify for payments. Cornyn and Tillis, both on the Judiciary panel, insisted on seeing the commitment documented before backing Blanche's nomination, particularly while Trump voiced ongoing support.

In a statement, Blanche noted the order resulted from "good faith discussions." "My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions," Blanche said.

DOJ order states 'beyond any doubt' that fund is terminated

Accompanying the order, the Justice Department declared 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."

Since the settlement of the president's lawsuit against the IRS was announced, "No Members were appointed; no funds were transferred; no process for receiving claims was established; no claims were paid," the order states. "This order establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund."

The document issued by Blanche on Sunday night also narrows another element of the settlement granting broad immunity for Trump and his family from tax audits. The agreement specifies that the tax audit immunity "applies by its terms only retroactively" to claims open at settlement time and does not shield the president from reviews of future tax filings.

Cornyn, Tillis voice GOP concerns while blocking Blanche nomination

Cornyn, who lost reelection this year after Trump backed his primary challenger, and Tillis, retiring at term's end in January, have held up Blanche's nomination amid criticism of the fund from many GOP colleagues.

The Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on Blanche's nomination originally set for Thursday morning after Tillis and Cornyn requested additional assurances from the administration. The senators noted the Justice Department appeared open to an accord, yet the White House resisted changes even to support confirmation of Trump's former personal attorney, who has advanced administration goals as acting attorney general.

"I think as far as Blanche and the Department of Justice, we were pretty much on the same page," Cornyn said Thursday. "But then when the president got wind of it, he wasn't willing to go along with it."

Blanche, who defended Trump in criminal cases, joined the Justice Department last year as deputy attorney general. He advanced to the top role after Pam Bondi was dismissed in April by Trump over her failure to prosecute his political opponents. Though Blanche claimed he was not seeking the permanent post, he has pushed the Trump agenda and sped up probes into the president's perceived adversaries.

Trump maintains support for his settlement

The sides negotiated for weeks, but Trump repeatedly stated during talks that the fund should proceed and threatened to advance it if Blanche was not confirmed. After the Thursday vote delay, Trump posted on social media that he might withdraw Blanche's nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis depart next year.

On Sunday evening, Trump remarked that individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack who might have gained from the fund had "their lives destroyed." "This would be a reimbursement for the pain that they suffered," Trump said. "A lot of people like it."

On Friday, Trump's attorneys informed a court they would appeal a judge's harsh ruling labeling the settlement of the president's IRS lawsuit as improper self-dealing. The judge referred one of Trump's attorneys for possible discipline and faulted Blanche's role in the settlement due to his prior representation of Trump. Blanche disagreed "with the judge's insinuations" about him. Justice Department lawyers had stated in court filings that the fund was not advancing but declined a judge's request for Blanche and other officials to submit a sworn declaration that no further action would occur. The Justice Department called the court's demands "unnecessary."