A US judge on Friday temporarily blocked the controversial "anti-weaponization" fund that President Donald Trump's administration had set up last week, as part of a Justice Department settlement in Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The $1.776 billion (€1.522 billion) fund has been criticized as a scheme to funnel taxpayer dollars to Trump loyalists.
What did the judge say?
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that the US government was barred from "taking any further action" to set up or operate the fund while the judge hears additional legal arguments.
The White House declined to comment on the judge's ruling, referring all questions to the Justice Department, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
