BREAKING: Federal Judge Shuts Down Trump’s $1.8 Billion “Anti-Weaponization” Slush Fund
A federal judge in Virginia has put an immediate halt to the Trump administration’s controversial $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” blocking the Justice Department from establishing or operating it in any capacity. The order came down Friday from U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema, who scheduled a hearing for June 12th to determine whether the pause should be extended.
The fund itself was born out of an unusual arrangement in which Trump settled his own $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS with his own administration, with the resulting $1.8 billion pot designated to compensate people who claim they were targeted by government “weaponization” or “lawfare.” The DOJ had described it as a mechanism to issue formal apologies and financial relief to claimants.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had said just last week that he was already in the process of selecting the five members who would oversee the fund and set its operating rules, with one seat to be chosen in coordination with Congress. Brinkema’s order now blocks all of that activity, including preliminary conversations with potential board members.
The fund was set to expire December 1, 2028, conveniently timed to wind down just before the end of Trump’s second term. Critics immediately flagged the arrangement as a legally dubious self-dealing scheme that redirected public money to benefit Trump’s political allies and grievance agenda.
The judge’s order suggests those concerns have serious legal merit, though questions around legal standing and the likelihood of surviving an appeal remain unresolved heading into the June hearing.