The U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has officially abandoned a nearly $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund, according to a statement from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday. The decision came after a wave of political opposition and legal defeats.
Speaking to lawmakers, Blanche stated: 'We will not proceed with this fund. Full stop.' However, the agreement between the Justice Department and Trump to prevent future audits of his or his family's tax records remains in place.
The fund was initially established as a form of compensation for individuals deemed victims of 'weaponized' law enforcement under the Biden administration. But just two weeks after its announcement, a judge temporarily halted the fund, and it drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
Senators were locked in a stalemate with Trump over a $72 billion bill to fund ICE and border patrol operations. Congressional leaders expressed doubts about the bill's passage unless the fund was scrapped, and a source familiar with the matter said Blanche's future hinged on his ability to address these concerns.
The $1.776 billion fund originated from a legal settlement between Trump and the DOJ to resolve an unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over alleged mishandling of his tax records. Blanche angered senators by refusing to commit to excluding those who attacked police during the January 6, 2021, riot from the fund's recipient list.
White House officials spent much of Monday calling lawmakers, assuring them that no payments would be made after the Republican uprising. However, that assurance was not enough to quell Republican demands ahead of Tuesday's hearing, where lawmakers pressed for a definitive pledge that the fund was dead.
