By
Nia Prater,
Intelligencer staff writer, who covers New York politics
It’s the rare issue that manages to unite lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but the Trump administration unintentionally achieved that aim with the announcement of a nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a controversial pot of taxpayer dollars set aside from President Trump’s unprecedented settlement with the IRS intended to compensate purported victims of governmental “lawfare.” While Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that anyone regardless of political beliefs can file a claim, numerous Trumpworld figures are already coming out of the woodwork to express their interest, which hasn’t allayed the concerns that the unprecedented settlement would be little more than a slush fund for Trump’s allies and associates. Here’s a look at who’s reportedly eyeing a piece of that anti-weaponization fund pie.
Over the years, Cohen has worn a variety of hats, serving as Trump’s former fixer and lawyer and later acting as a key witness in the state prosecution of the president for falsifying business records in connection to his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. He was sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion and campaign-finance violations, the latter in connection to alleged hush-money payments intended to silence affair rumors about Trump prior to the 2016 presidential election. Cohen spent a significant amount of that time on home confinement after being released from prison amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
