Senate stalls Trump’s $1.8 billion anti‑weaponization payout fund

The Justice Department’s $1.776 billion “anti‑weaponization” fund, created as part of a settlement with former President Donald Trump over a leaked tax‑return lawsuit, was abandoned after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified that the administration would not move forward with the payouts. The fund was intended to compensate individuals claiming wrongful prosecution, but critics argued it would channel taxpayer money to Trump allies, including participants in the Jan. 6 attack.

In the Senate, Democrats introduced an amendment to ban the fund, while Republicans offered a counter‑amendment to redirect $1.7 billion to the DOJ’s fraud division. Neither amendment passed; the Democratic effort was narrowly rejected and the Republican proposal was also defeated. The debate occurred amid a “vote‑a‑rama” on the broader immigration and border‑security reconciliation bill, with several GOP senators expressing opposition to the fund and urging clarification from the White House.