A federal judge in Virginia on Friday ordered a temporary halt to any payments from the Justice Department’s so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund while she reviews a lawsuit seeking to block the program permanently. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema enjoined the administration from taking further steps to operate the fund, including transferring money or processing claims by individuals who say they were politically persecuted.
The department announced the $1.776 billion fund last week as a vehicle to compensate people who claim they were wrongly targeted during the Biden administration. The fund was created as part of an arrangement under which President Donald Trump agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and two civil claims totaling $230 million related to the Russia-collusion inquiry and the 2022 Mar-a-Lago search. That deal prompted bipartisan criticism and charges of self-dealing, including concerns about using taxpayer money to compensate people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said anyone who believes they were a victim of weaponization is eligible to apply for relief under the program.
The temporary order does not decide the legal merits of the case, which was brought by former Jan. 6 prosecutor Andrew Floyd and other plaintiffs who argue the fund is unlawfully discriminatory and likely to benefit political allies of President Trump. Judge Brinkema set an expedited briefing schedule and scheduled a hearing for June 12 to consider whether to extend the freeze and whether the administration may proceed with the fund.