A federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate victims of government lawfare.
The order, issued on Friday by Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, prohibits any action related to the fund including transferring money, processing claims, and mailing checks to claimants. The block remains until a June 12 hearing in court.
The approximately $1.8 million Anti-Weaponization Fund was established following a legal settlement involving President Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It allows alleged victims of government weaponization to file claims for compensation. According to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, President Trump, his family members, and donors to the President are barred from accessing the fund.
The fund is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Acting Attorney General. The board will arrange payments to anonymous recipients.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by former federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd and allies. Floyd headed the now-defunct Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which was tasked with finding and prosecuting January 6 protestors.
In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump said: “I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my Tax Returns and the equally illegal BREAK IN of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune. Instead, I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE!”
The judge’s order prevents “taking any further action pursuant to the creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
