Judge rejects dismissal of lawsuit over $1.8B Trump ally fund

anti-weaponization fund Leonie Brinkema Todd Blanche Democracy Forward political compensation

A federal judge in Virginia has rejected the U.S. government's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a proposed $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization fund.’ The fund was intended to compensate political allies of President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the legal challenge is not moot, despite assurances from Justice Department attorney Andrew Block that the administration has abandoned the plan. The judge noted that President Trump has continued to publicly support the fund, contradicting the Attorney General's claims that it is dead.

Attorney General Todd Blanche had issued a formal order to terminate the fund on August 2, following bipartisan criticism and negotiations with Republican senators. The fund was originally established to settle a lawsuit against the IRS concerning the leak of the President's tax returns. The legal advocacy group Democracy Forward filed the lawsuit in May to prevent the disbursement of funds, citing concerns that participants involved in the January 6 Capitol riot could be eligible for payments.

Entities

Democracy Forward · Donald Trump · Leonie Brinkema · Todd Blanche · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected the government's argument that the lawsuit regarding the anti-weaponization fund is moot. triblive.com · www.troyrecord.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a formal order on August 2 to terminate the fund. triblive.com · www.troyrecord.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The legal advocacy group Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit in May to suspend the fund's implementation. triblive.com · www.troyrecord.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The administration planned to create a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund to compensate political allies. triblive.com · www.troyrecord.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The fund was originally created to resolve a lawsuit against the IRS regarding the leak of Donald Trump's tax returns. triblive.com · www.troyrecord.com

Sources

Judge floats U. S. fund oversight amid Trump ‘weaponization’ flap [www.europesays.com]

9 days ago

Judge isn't swayed by government's claims that plans for an 'anti-weaponization fund' are dead [srnnews.com]

10 days ago

Judge isn’t swayed by government’s claims that plans for an ‘anti-weaponization fund’ are dead [triblive.com]

10 days ago

Judge isn’t swayed by government’s claims that plans for an ‘anti-weaponization fund’ are dead [www.troyrecord.com]

10 days ago

Judge isn't swayed by government's claims that plans for an 'anti-weaponization fund' are dead [www.winnipegfreepress.com]

10 days ago