On Friday, a federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked disbursements from the $1.8 billion fund.
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department has hit pause on a proposed anti-weaponization fund after an unfavorable court ruling.
“The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia,” an account associated with the Department of Justice wrote on X in reference to a court decision blocking the fund.
“The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”
On May 29, a federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked disbursements from the $1.8 billion fund.
Also on May 29, a federal judge in Florida opened an inquiry into allegations of fraud in President Donald Trump’s recently settled lawsuit over alleged IRS leaks of his tax return.
The settlement in that case gave rise to the proposed anti-weaponization fund.
The Justice Department announced the proposed $1.78 billion fund in late May.
“We are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on the fund.
The fund would have been empowered to apologize formally and compensate those who the Trump administration says were unfairly targeted by the government in investigations and lawfare. It would have drawn on sums in the U.S. Treasury’s perpetual Judgment Fund, which is made available to the Justice Department to pay out settlements and court judgments involving the federal government.
Democrats were soon joined by some Republicans in criticizing the proposal, particularly on the Senate side.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) questioned Blanche about the fund during a May 19 hearing on the Justice Department’s budget request for fiscal year 2027.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), an increasingly vocal Trump critic who is not running for reelection, described it as “stupid on stilts” in a May interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
This story will be updated with additional details.
