Federal Judge Blocks Trump-Backed Fund Payouts, Citing Challenges to Jan. 6-Linked Plan
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 7
Federal Judge Blocks Trump-Backed Fund Payouts, Citing Challenges to Jan. 6-Linked Plan
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 7
Summary
A federal judge in Virginia temporarily halted any payouts and setup work for the Justice Department’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund while separate legal challenges move through court.
The fund was created last month under a DOJ-IRS settlement of Trump’s January 2026 lawsuit over leaked tax returns, with payments intended for people claiming politically motivated prosecutions.
Lawmakers from both parties have attacked the program as a taxpayer-funded “slush fund,” warning it could benefit Trump allies, including some tied to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
Trump kept defending the fund, though he said he would not be inclined to support payments to people who assaulted police officers and claimed 97% of Jan. 6 defendants were wrongly treated.