Federal Judge Blocks Trump's $1.8 Billion Compensation Fund Pending June 12 Hearing
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · May 31
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's $1.8 Billion Compensation Fund Pending June 12 Hearing
9 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · May 31
A federal judge on Friday barred the Trump administration from creating or operating the $1.8 billion fund, transferring money into it, or reviewing payout claims until a June 12 hearing.
The fund had already sparked a Republican backlash because it was designed to compensate alleged victims of government overreach and raised fears that pardoned Jan. 6 rioters could receive payments.
More than a dozen GOP senators, including Lindsey Graham, urged Trump to scrap the plan, and Todd Blanche faced what Ted Cruz called one of the roughest closed-door meetings he had seen.
White House aides are now reportedly discussing killing the fund to salvage an immigration enforcement bill that stalled amid the fight, even as Trump has resisted dropping it.
The proposal emerged from talks to settle Trump's lawsuit over the release of his tax returns, with officials deciding Trump himself would receive no direct payment.
Can an administration use a lawsuit settlement to create a public fund without congressional approval?
Trump’s $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund Faces Legal and Political Crisis: What’s at Stake in the June 12, 2026 Hearing
Overview
On June 12, 2026, Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema will decide the fate of the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was recently halted after its formal launch. The fund was created to compensate people who claim they were improperly targeted by the government, following Trump’s decision to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. This hearing is crucial because it could permanently block or allow the fund, which has sparked intense legal and political debate over its constitutionality, executive authority, and the use of public money for potentially partisan purposes.