Three Lawsuits Seek To Halt DOJ’s $1.8B Anti-Weaponization Fund In Eastern District Of Virginia

A $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” created by the Department of Justice to compensate people who say they were targeted by the Biden administration has triggered three federal lawsuits seeking to halt the fund’s creation and funding.

“Trump's 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' faces additional lawsuits The DOJ's attempt to launch the fund has sparked a bipartisan uproar”

ABC News

The ABC News report says a coalition asked a federal judge to stop the fund, calling it "a jaw-dropping act of presidential corruption," and it describes a complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia alleging the creation of the fund bypassed Congress’ authority over federal spending and violated the 14th Amendment.

ABC News

NBC News reports that a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia alleges the fund creates a politically discriminatory process that excludes individuals like the plaintiffs, who say they were mistreated by Republican officials and administrations.

In the NBC News account, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Floyd, a career federal prosecutor fired by former Attorney General Pam Bondi in June 2025, said, "Now they are asking taxpayers to illegally reward them for their crimes," as the suit challenges the fund’s legal authority and the settlement’s lack of court oversight.

The lawsuits have drawn in plaintiffs tied to the Jan. 6 attack and to the legal fight over the fund’s structure, with NBC News naming former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges as having filed a separate suit over what they described as a “slush fund” for “insurrectionists.”

ABC News quotes legal arguments that the fund violates constitutional limits, including a claim that it was created “in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States,” and it says the Department of Justice’s launch of the fund came in exchange for President Donald Trump dropping his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and two other civil claims.

CNBC

NBC News also reports that Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, told NBC News that "There’s literally no legal authority for the fund," adding that Congress hasn’t authorized it.

In the ABC News account, CREW’s lawsuit focuses on the purported secrecy of the fund, which it says is in "defiance of federal records preservation and access laws," as the plaintiffs seek to stop the fund before it is implemented.

As the lawsuits proceed, lawmakers and Trump allies are also positioning the fund for the next phase, with The Hill reporting that Sen. Bill Cassidy said the nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund should be approved by Congress.

“WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - Since President Donald Trump’s administration announced the creation of a $1”

HuffPost

The Hill quotes Cassidy on X saying, "People are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas," while he argued that any settlement should be brought to Congress to decide.

ABC News says the lawsuits precede the establishment of the fund itself, with the settlement agreement stating it is to be created by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche within 30 days and overseen by a five-commissioner committee to oversee claims.

NBC News adds that the fund was established as part of a settlement agreement that was not overseen by the court, and it says the plaintiffs argue the fund would “directly finance the violent operations of rioters, paramilitaries, and their supporters,” as the litigation seeks to block payouts.