Judge extends block on Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund
What’s next: The administration has one week to file a sworn pledge that the fund will not be revived.
A federal judge in Virginia on Friday kept the Trump administration from creating or operating a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” rejecting Justice Department arguments that the case is moot because officials say they will not proceed. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said the record still leaves too much uncertainty, noting acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not formally rescinded the May 18 order that created the fund. She gave the administration a week to negotiate an agreement and submit a sworn declaration that the fund will not be reactivated. The proposed fund drew bipartisan backlash because it would use settlement money tied to Donald Trump’s claims against the IRS and could compensate people alleging political targeting, including Jan. 6 defendants.