Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced during a House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday that the Justice Department is abandoning its efforts to create the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
The fund, which stemmed from a lawsuit between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, was put on hold after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking its creation. A hearing on the Anti-Weaponization Fund’s legal basis had been scheduled for June 12, but it will no longer take place, according to Blanche’s testimony.
“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said. “The reasons for the fund are something that President Trump talked about for a long time, which is the fact that there were a lot of people in this country who had their government weaponized against them. The reasons for the fund, I think, remain as important as they were before, but, we are not moving forward with the fund.”
When announcing the fund’s creation in mid-May, the Justice Department described it as an opportunity for individuals deemed victims of lawfare by previous administrations to receive restitution, regardless of their political affiliation. Distributions would be determined by a five-member board appointed by Blanche, who said during the hearing that the fund had yet to be created amid ongoing litigation.
Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department over the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, alleging it is an improper use of the Federal Judgment Fund and that the executive branch is circumventing Congress’ authority.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a temporary restraining order blocking the fund from operating on May 29.
Two other lawsuits have been filed against the fund.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
