Trump DOJ Blocks Controversial $1.8 B Anti-Weaponization Fund

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered the Justice Department to file a sworn declaration that it would not create or operate the proposed $1.776 billion anti‑weaponization fund. The judge warned that without such a declaration, the lawsuit over the fund would continue.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other senior officials have refused to provide the required statements, arguing the court’s demand constitutes judicial overreach and violates separation‑of‑powers principles. The DOJ maintains the fund—labeled by critics as a “slush fund” intended to compensate Jan. 6 rioters and other Trump allies—is “not going forward, period.”

The fund originated from a settlement between former President Donald Trump and the IRS, intended to compensate alleged victims of “law‑fare.” A preliminary injunction already blocks the DOJ from establishing the fund, and the court has set deadlines for the administration to respond, with potential further orders if the declarations are not filed.