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Federal Judge Freezes Trump’s $1.8B Anti-Weaponization Fund Ahead of June Hearing

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A federal judge in Virginia temporarily froze the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “Anti‑Weaponization Fund” on Friday, halting all steps to set up or operate the program after a former Jan. 6 prosecutor and other critics sued to block it nbcnews +1. The order prevents any transfer of money, review of claims or payouts until at least a June 12 hearing in the Eastern District of Virginia nbcnews +1.

The fund was created less than two weeks ago as part of an unusual settlement resolving President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax records, redirecting $1.776 billion from the federal Judgment Fund into a new compensation program for people who say they were targeted by “weaponized” government investigations msn +1.

How the Anti‑Weaponization Fund Came About — and Why It Alarmed Both Parties

Announced May 18, the Anti‑Weaponization Fund was framed by the Justice Department as a way to compensate victims of “lawfare” and politically motivated prosecutions, with a five‑member commission — largely appointed and removable by the attorney general — to decide who qualifies msn +1. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told senators the fund is “not limited to Republicans” or to Jan. 6 defendants and that applicants’ conduct would be considered, but he did not rule out payments to people convicted in connection with the Capitol attack apnews +1.

The structure and origins of the fund triggered swift backlash. Critics noted the money came from the Judgment Fund, a standing pot of taxpayer dollars meant to pay court judgments and settlements, not to launch broad new programs without explicit congressional approval ktvz. Senior Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins, called the arrangement “highly irregular,” while Democrats denounced it as a “slush fund” for Trump allies, reflecting rare bipartisan unease ktvz +1.

The Lawsuits: Separation of Powers, Jan. 6, and Claims of a Political “Slush Fund”

Friday’s order followed a wave of lawsuits led by watchdog groups Democracy Forward, Common Cause and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, joined by organizations such as the National Abortion Federation and individuals including former Jan. 6 prosecutor Andrew Floyd nbcnews +1. Plaintiffs argue the settlement and fund violate separation‑of‑powers principles and the Appropriations Clause by bypassing Congress’s control over federal spending, misuse the Judgment Fund, and create a politically discriminatory program favoring Trump‑aligned claimants who say they were harmed by prior administrations ktvz +1.

Separate suits filed by U.S. Capitol Police officers who defended Congress on Jan. 6 contend the fund could send taxpayer money to rioters they confronted, compounding what they describe as “presidential corruption” surrounding pardons and commutations for hundreds of those defendants alexandriabrief. Floyd, who worked on Jan. 6 cases before being pushed out of the Justice Department, said Trump’s targeting of him and other prosecutors “leaves our country in a very dark place” nbcnews. The administration counters that the settlement is a lawful exercise of DOJ authority to resolve litigation and that there are no partisan eligibility rules, pointing to earlier large settlement funds as precedent ktvz +1.

The Bigger Picture

The outcome of the Virginia case could set a significant precedent for how far presidents can go in using the Judgment Fund and settlement agreements to build large‑scale compensation schemes, particularly ones that intersect with their own political grievances and legal exposure ktvz. If Judge Leonie Brinkema ultimately blocks the Anti‑Weaponization Fund, it may reinforce Congress’s power of the purse and curtail future efforts by any administration to design programs that critics see as rewarding political allies; if she allows it to proceed, lawmakers in both parties are already signaling they may move to tighten the rules around the fund and similar arrangements politico +1. With the June 12 hearing looming, the paused program has become a new flashpoint in the long‑running fight over Jan. 6 accountability and the broader claim — central to Trump’s message — that the justice system itself has been weaponized.

nbcnews NBC News; reuters Reuters; politico CNN; msn Washington Post; washingtontimes AP; ktvz CBS News; apnews NPR; theguardian PBS; democracydocket CBS video/Capitol Hill reaction; wsjm Common Cause/CREW filings; alexandriabrief NYT/Politico on Capitol Police lawsuit.