The US Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Attorney General.
The committee's approval marks a critical procedural step, sending the nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.
Republican senators, who had initially expressed reservations, ultimately backed the candidate after the White House agreed to eliminate a controversial fund designed to support supporters facing legal challenges.
Democrats have criticized the move, arguing it could grant the president unprecedented immunity from legal scrutiny.
Blanche's path to the top justice post has been fraught with legal and political headwinds.
Just days before the committee vote, a federal judge issued a ruling in the case concerning President Donald Trump's IRS settlement that contained severe criticism of Blanche's conduct as Acting Attorney General.