The Justice Department announced Monday it will stop all work on the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund after a federal judge temporarily blocked the program from moving forward. The decision came after the fund faced opposition from lawmakers in both parties and a lawsuit filed in Virginia.
According to a report by CBS News, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued her order on Friday to ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed while she considers whether to issue longer-term relief. Brinkema's order prohibits the Justice Department from taking any further action in connection with the creation or operation of the program, including transferring money to the fund, considering any claims submitted, and disbursing any payments. A hearing is scheduled for June 12.
The DOJ posted a lengthy statement on X explaining its position. "The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people," the department wrote. It continued: "This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. The Department will abide by the Court's ruling."
The fund was announced as part of a civil lawsuit settlement between President Trump and the IRS stemming from the release of his tax returns by a former government contractor. The program was designed to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who claimed the federal government had been weaponized against them. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer who took over after Pam Bondi was removed from the role in April, made the announcement last month.
The lawsuit challenging the fund was brought by a former federal prosecutor who worked on cases stemming from the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, along with several other plaintiffs. The two original plaintiffs argued the fund was discriminatory, saying they had been targeted for political retribution by the Trump administration but believed they would not be allowed to file claims. Many Trump supporters prosecuted over the Capitol riot had expressed plans to file claims, as had members of Trump's former inner circle.
Opposition to the fund was not limited to Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the top Republican in the U.S. Senate, came out against it and reiterated his position on Capitol Hill on Monday. Thune said he prefers that the White House shut down the proposed fund if Congress is to pass a $72 billion budget reconciliation package to fund immigration agencies. "I made my views very clear on the issue," Thune said. House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Trump at the White House on Monday as the administration worked to manage the political fallout.
Democrats had labeled it a slush fund from the start. The combination of bipartisan congressional resistance and the court's intervention put the program on ice before a single payment was made. The White House directed all comments about the decision to the Justice Department.
The June 12 hearing before Judge Brinkema will determine whether longer-term restrictions on the fund will be put in place.
