Cassidy, Booker Urge Court to Keep DOJ's $1.7 Billion Fund Frozen Over Jan. 6 Payout Fears
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 4
Cassidy, Booker Urge Court to Keep DOJ's $1.7 Billion Fund Frozen Over Jan. 6 Payout Fears
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 4
Summary
$1.7 billion is at the center of a new bipartisan court filing, with Sens. Bill Cassidy and Cory Booker asking a federal judge to keep the Justice Department's anti-weaponization fund blocked.
Their brief argues the program violates the Constitution's Spending, Appropriations and Appointments Clauses and could channel public money to people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
A judge in eastern Virginia last week temporarily barred DOJ from considering claims or disbursing funds while she weighs longer-term relief sought by plaintiffs including a former Jan. 6 prosecutor.
The fund was created last month in a settlement of Trump's IRS lawsuit and would let five attorney-general appointees distribute payments to people claiming they suffered "weaponization" or "lawfare."
DOJ has said it will comply with the temporary order and is not moving forward for now, but senators remain skeptical as the program has already stirred backlash and threatened a $70 billion border funding package.
If the court blocks this controversial fund, what happens to the underlying settlement deal with the IRS?
Could the battle over this $1.7B fund permanently reshape the president's control over government spending?
What new rules could stop future administrations from creating similar funds without congressional approval?
$1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund Frozen: Legal Battles, Political Divisions, and the Future of Executive Power
Overview
As of June 4, 2026, the proposed $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund is facing an uncertain future, with its operations frozen and officially declared 'not moving forward.' This situation results from both legislative gridlock and significant judicial challenges. Efforts in the Senate to block the fund, such as an amendment introduced by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, failed to pass, with even some Republican critics voting against it. The combination of stalled legislation and ongoing lawsuits has left the fund in limbo, highlighting deep political divisions and a complex legal battle over its fate.