Blanche Leaves Jan. 6 Rioters Eligible for $1.776 Billion DOJ Fund as GOP Doubts Grow
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 19
Blanche Leaves Jan. 6 Rioters Eligible for $1.776 Billion DOJ Fund as GOP Doubts Grow
20 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 19
Blanche told senators violent Jan. 6 defendants could apply to the new $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” declining to exclude people convicted of assaulting police.
A five-member commission appointed by the attorney general will decide payouts, but Blanche would not commit to barring violent offenders and said eligibility turns only on whether applicants claim “weaponization.”
The fund, announced Monday, would draw from the federal judgment fund and is tied to resolving Trump’s $10 billion IRS lawsuit over the leak of his tax returns.
Democrats called the plan an illegal abuse of taxpayer money, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is “not a big fan” and Bill Cassidy labeled it a “slush fund.”
The dispute deepens criticism that Trump’s Justice Department is recasting Jan. 6 and eroding agency independence after pardons, prosecutor firings and new cases against political opponents.
How will a new $1.8B fund define and compensate 'political targeting' without established legal precedent?
Can last-minute diplomacy truly de-escalate the decades-old conflict between the United States and Iran?
With back-to-back U.S. and Russian summits in Beijing, is China becoming the indispensable global mediator?
Justice Department’s $1.8 Billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" Draws Senate Scrutiny and Corruption Allegations
Overview
The Justice Department’s independence is under intense Senate scrutiny as the Trump administration uses a massive $1.776 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund.' This fund is seen as a sign that the administration is ready to reward allies who previously faced investigations or convictions before Trump returned to office. On his first day back, Trump pardoned or commuted sentences for January 6 supporters, and since then, the Justice Department has approved financial payouts to individuals involved in past investigations, while also targeting those perceived as adversaries. These actions raise serious concerns about political influence and the impartiality of federal law enforcement.