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The Trump administration's Anti-Weaponization Fund hit a legal wall Friday when U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued an order halting all activity related to the program as court challenges against it move forward.
According to CNBC, the written order forbids the DOJ from "taking any further action pursuant to 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." Brinkema scheduled a June 12 hearing to weigh whether the block should be extended, and gave DOJ lawyers until June 5 to submit their arguments against it.
The Justice Department announced the fund earlier this month as part of a settlement of President Donald Trump's civil lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax records by a former government contractor. Under the settlement terms, Trump and his co-plaintiffs — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization — will receive a formal apology but no monetary payment, and will also drop their lawsuit and two administrative claims.
The fund will receive $1.776 billion drawn from the judgment fund, a standing appropriation that allows the DOJ to settle cases, the department said. A five-member board appointed by the attorney general would determine payouts. The DOJ described the program's purpose as providing "a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare," and said any remaining funds upon the fund's closure would revert to the federal government. The fund is set to stop accepting claims no later than Dec. 1, 2028.
