Trump’s $1.77B “anti-weaponization” fund temporarily blocked by federal judge

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with its $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund in a Friday order.

The big picture: The controversial plan aims to create an unprecedented mechanism to compensate people who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the government.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who was nominated by former President Clinton, ordered the Department of Justice to hold off on taking further action on the fund, including transferring money to it.

• Brinkema’s order also blocks the DOJ from considering any claims submitted to the fund or disbursing any money from the pot “to ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed from the Anti-Weaponization Fund” while the case proceeds.
• Former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Jan. 6 prosecutor Andrew Floyd and his fellow plaintiffs sued the administration to block what they called a “slush fund” that’s “on a collision course with the United States Constitution.”
• A DOJ spokesperson told Axios in a statement that the department “remains extremely confident” in the fund’s legality and said it “will not allow the policy preferences of judges to interfere with our efforts to provide restitution to victims of lawfare.”

What they’re saying: “This is a victory for transparency, the rule of law, and the American people,” Skye Perryman, whose organization Democracy Forward filed the lawsuit, said in a statement.

• “No administration has the authority to spend public money through a political rewards program that Congress never authorized,” Perryman added.

Catch up quick: The DOJ announced the formation of the fund as part of a settlement agreement from Trump’s suit against the IRS and Treasury over the leak of his tax returns.

• The attorney general will handpick the five-member commission that decides who will collect money from the fund.
• Those decisions can’t be appealed or challenged in court, and public disclosure of who got a payout and how much money they received is not required, Axios’ Andrew Pantazi writes.

What we’re watching: The suit in the Eastern District of Virginia is one of multiple lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s fund.

• On Wednesday, a coalition of 35 former federal judges urged the judge who oversaw Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS to reopen the case and consider whether the extraordinary deal to wrap up the challenge was an act of fraud.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.

المصدر: Axios