The US Department of Justice has recently set up an 'anti-weaponisation fund' aimed at providing financial compensation to individuals who allege they were unjustly targeted by the federal government. The fund, announced on March 17, is part of a settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), accusing the agency of leaking his tax information.
Between 2018 and 2020, Trump's tax information was leaked to the New York Times. In 2023, Charles Edward Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor, was charged with providing these tax returns. Littlejohn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison. In January this year, Trump sued the IRS and the Treasury Department, seeking $10 billion in damages.
The fund has received nearly $1.8 billion from the 'judgment fund', a permanent government account used to pay legal settlements without congressional approval. Individuals who claim they suffered harm due to unfair legal actions can file for compensation.
Critics, particularly Democratic lawmakers, fear the fund could be used to compensate Trump supporters who participated in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and were later pardoned by him. More than 90 Democratic House members have filed legal documents to block the fund. Senator Elizabeth Warren called it a 'secret $1.7 billion slush fund' to pay 'insurrectionists'.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the fund, comparing it to one established under President Barack Obama's administration (the Keepseagle v. Vilsack case in 2011). However, legal experts argue the comparison is inaccurate, as Trump's lawsuit against the IRS was not a class action, and the new fund operates without strict judicial oversight.
