Justice Department Pauses Trump-Linked Compensation Fund
The U.S. Justice Department says it will comply with a federal court order temporarily blocking a nearly $1.8 billion fund created by the Trump administration to compensate people who say they were politically targeted by the justice system.
The department announced Monday that it disagrees with the ruling from a federal judge in Virginia, but will abide by it while the case proceeds. The order pauses implementation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund for at least two weeks, with further arguments scheduled for June 12.
The fund was established as part of a settlement connected to President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. Administration officials have described it as a remedy for what they characterize as politicized law enforcement during the Biden administration. The Justice Department said the program was open to people of any political affiliation who believed they had been targeted or persecuted.
The proposal drew scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans, particularly after supporters of Trump, including people prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, indicated they planned to seek compensation. Republican senators questioned acting U.S. attorney general Todd Blanche about the fund in a private meeting last month, with Sen. Ted Cruz describing the session as unusually difficult.
The fund’s future is now uncertain. The Justice Department did not say whether it would continue pursuing the program if the Virginia judge lifts the temporary block.
In a separate development, a federal judge in Florida overseeing Trump’s IRS lawsuit ordered his lawyers to respond to allegations from critics of the settlement. Those critics claim the case may have involved collusion or an improper effort to avoid court review. Trump’s attorneys have until June 12 to file a written response. No merits ruling has been issued yet.