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Fund Frozen by Judge
A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from paying any claims through a new $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and barred the government from moving forward with the fund’s creation while litigation is pending.
The fund was created to resolve Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, and U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema scheduled a June 12 hearing on whether to extend the order blocking payouts.
The White House declined to comment on the judge’s ruling and referred all questions to the Justice Department, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys from Democracy Forward sought a court order halting the fund’s implementation and preventing the Trump administration from disbursing any payouts, arguing there is no legal basis or accountability behind the program.
Brinkema said it’s important to maintain the status quo for at least the next two weeks and ensure that no funds are “irreversibly disbursed” from the fund.
Eligibility and Backlash
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers behind closed doors that the fund would not pay out money to members of the Trump family or anyone convicted of a violent crime, according to people in the room.
Blanche also wouldn’t rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6, 2021 could be eligible for fund payouts during a congressional hearing, as the Justice Department had not formed the five-member commission that will decide on payout criteria.
The fund’s critics see it as a way to reward Trump’s allies who believe they were politically prosecuted, while a bipartisan backlash and a legal roadblock have not dimmed Jan. 6 rioters clambering for a share of taxpayer money.
David Johnston, a licensed attorney who illegally entered the Capitol with a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, offered to help fellow “J6ers” apply for payouts for a 10% cut of any award, capped at $5,000 apiece.
Jason Riddle, a military veteran from New Hampshire sentenced to 90 days behind bars after pleading guilty to riot charges, said, “I’d love money, but I can’t accept that.”
Senate Knife-Edge Ahead
Senate Republicans face a “political knife-edge” over whether to support Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as they return from recess next week, with nearly half of the 53-member Republican Senate majority balking during a heated two-hour meeting with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Reuters reported that leadership suspended plans to pass a $72 billion partisan bill to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown through the end of his presidency, while the party pressed Trump’s Justice Department to agree on guardrails to defuse Democratic plans to force repeated votes on amendments.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin conservative who said he fully supports the fund, argued, “come up with an overriding amendment that will render all their amendments moot.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called on the Justice Department and the White House to provide clarity to members about what guardrails they will accept, while aides said there has been only silence so far.
A Republican strategist said, “No one thinks this is a winning issue,” describing the fund as a political albatross heading into the November midterm elections amid headwinds including soaring prices and Trump’s declining approval ratings.
