A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from operating its $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund while legal challenges proceed. US District Judge Leonie Brinkema, sitting in Alexandria, Virginia, issued a two-page order on Friday that carries two distinct components: it bars the Department of Justice from taking any steps to stand up or operate the fund, and separately bars the DOJ from acting on claims for payouts from the fund. The pause is intended to ensure no money is irreversibly disbursed before Brinkema can rule on an emergency motion to block the fund entirely. A hearing on whether to extend the order has been scheduled for 12 June.
The Anti-Weaponization Fund was unveiled by the Trump administration on 19 May and enables individuals who believe they were politically targeted — including by the Justice Department under the Biden administration — to apply for compensation. The fund is to be administered by five commissioners appointed by the attorney general, who will review claims from individuals who say they were unfairly targeted by previous administrations. The money is drawn from the DOJ's Judgment Fund, taxpayer money set aside by Congress for monetary settlements the government reaches. Under the settlement terms, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was required to appoint the commissioners within 30 days.
The fund was created as part of a settlement resolving Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns; as part of that settlement, the US government will permanently abandon tax claims against Trump. The lawsuit leading to Friday's order was filed by a January 6 prosecutor and others — including the city of New Haven, the National Abortion Federation, and Common Cause — and is represented by Democracy Forward, a progressive nonprofit legal group. At least two other lawsuits, both filed separately in Washington, are also challenging the fund's creation.
The DOJ said it remains "extremely confident" in the legality of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, citing Obama-era settlements as precedent [Source: CNN]. The fund's creation had already drawn attention on Capitol Hill, where Senate Republican leaders punted a vote on a GOP package to fund ICE and the Border Patrol until June in part because of concerns over the fund.
Sources: Bloomberg, BBC News, The Hill, CNN, ABC7 New York, The Mirror US, NBC News