A federal judge rejected a watchdog group’s request to block the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund on Wednesday, though he issued a sharp warning to the Justice Department not to revive the controversial program in secret. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the lawsuit appeared moot because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the administration was scrapping the fund entirely.
Judge Leon declined to issue a temporary restraining order that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had sought. But he made clear his skepticism about the administration’s commitment. “I give the Justice Department this warning: Don’t play possum with me,” Leon said from the bench, according to Politico.
The fund was created last month as part of a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. The administration designed it to compensate people claiming to be victims of politically motivated prosecutions and investigations. However, the proposal generated fierce bipartisan backlash, with critics and even some Republican allies opposing the prospect that Capitol riot participants could receive payouts.
During a House hearing on June 2, Blanche testified that the administration would not move forward with the fund. “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” he said, according to AP News. Yet Trump himself contradicted that stance three days later in an interview with NBC, saying he thought the weaponization fund was “a great idea” and expressing disappointment if Congress did not approve it, as Politico reported.
Judge Leon said he would accept Blanche’s representation that the fund is not proceeding, at least for now. The judge noted he has the power to impose sanctions on attorneys who make false statements to the court. However, he said he would continue considering a separate request for a preliminary injunction that could permanently block the fund if evidence emerges that the administration is reviving it.
A different federal judge, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia, had already temporarily blocked the fund’s operations on May 29. That order was set to expire on Friday unless Brinkema extended it following a hearing, according to AP News. The Justice Department has not yet formed the five-member commission required by the settlement to decide payout criteria, and no money has been distributed.
Sources
- Politico — Judge Richard Leon’s ruling, Blanche’s testimony, and Trump’s subsequent NBC interview contradicting the fund’s abandonment
- AP News — Watchdog group’s lawsuit, Judge Leon’s ruling and warning, Blanche’s House testimony, and Judge Brinkema’s temporary block
