Judge Extends Block on Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund

A federal judge on June 12 extended her block of the Trump administration’s Anti-Weaponization Fund.

Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a new order saying the fund will remain blocked for the time being.

The judge gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to file a sworn declaration that the Trump administration will not revive the fund.

Blanche told a congressional committee on June 2 that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is scrapping the fund.

Government attorneys have argued that the DOJ’s announcement rendered plaintiffs’ lawsuits challenging the fund moot, or legally irrelevant.

However, the judge, plaintiffs, and some in Congress aren’t satisfied by Blanche’s promise.

Brinkema said the government’s “mootness argument, in my view, doesn’t go anywhere.”

The Anti-Weaponization Fund was created as part of a settlement of a lawsuit that President Donald Trump filed against the IRS over alleged leaks of his tax returns. The settlement called for the federal government to pay out nearly $1.8 billion to compensate alleged victims of the weaponization of law enforcement.

As a result of the settlement, Blanche said on May 19 that the IRS would no longer pursue claims against Trump, members of his family, or his businesses over allegedly unpaid taxes.

The plan for the fund met opposition in Congress from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Some expressed concerns that those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, security breach at the U.S. Capitol could receive payouts from it.

On May 29, Brinkema issued an order temporarily blocking the federal government’s moves to establish the fund. At that time, she said the order was needed to make sure that no funds are “irreversibly disbursed” before litigation over the fund has an opportunity to play out.

On June 10, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied a request by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) for a temporary restraining order against the fund.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.