A federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Justice’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” aimed at compensating allies of President Donald Trump and others who say they were politically targeted by the DOJ during the Biden administration.U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, issued a temporary halt on any actions regarding the fund, which was announced earlier this month, pending a hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.The brief order said that the DOJ is barred from any further action regarding the “creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which includes the transferring of money to the Fund; the consideration of any claims submitted to the Fund; and the disbursing of any funds from the Fund.”
The judge set a hearing in the lawsuit for June 12 at 10 a.m., and emphasized the importance of maintaining the status quo as motivation for halting the fund in the interim.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the fund on May 18, saying it was part of the DOJ’s efforts to give compensation to those who were allegedly unfairly targeted by the department by trying to “make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again.” DOJ officials also said the fund would have “no partisan requirements,” but Democrats have been openly skeptical of that claim.
