Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers the Justice Department is abandoning plans for the Anti-Weaponization Fund, ending the effort after a federal judge temporarily blocked its creation.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department is abandoning its efforts to create the Anti-Weaponization Fund during a House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday.
The fund, which stemmed from a lawsuit between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, was put on hold after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking its creation. A hearing on the Anti-Weaponization Fund's legal basis had been scheduled for June 12, but it will no longer take place, Blanche testified.
"We are not moving forward with the fund, period," Blanche said. "The reasons for the fund are something that President Trump has talked about for a long time, which is the fact that there were a lot of people in this country who had their government weaponized against them. The reasons for the fund, I think, remain as important as they were before, but, we are not moving forward with the fund."
JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP DOJ'S NEARLY $2B 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION' FUND
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on June 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Department oversight hearing was rescheduled from its original date of May 19. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
When announcing the fund's creation in mid-May, the Justice Department described it as an opportunity for individuals deemed to be victims of lawfare by previous administrations to receive restitution, regardless of their political affiliation. The Anti-Weaponization Fund was created as part of a settlement between the Trump administration and the Internal Revenue Service over the disclosure of Trump's tax returns.
Rather than receiving direct compensation, the settlement called for the creation of a $1.776 billion fund. Distributions would be determined by a five-member board appointed by Blanche, and the funding would come from the Judgment Fund, which is used to pay for federal government settlements. Critics called it a "slush fund" that would benefit the president and his supporters.
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)
During the hearing, Blanche stated that no work on establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund had begun amid ongoing litigation. To date, three separate lawsuits have been filed challenging the fund.
Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department challenging the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, arguing that the administration improperly sought to use the Federal Judgment Fund — which is intended to pay court judgments and settlements against the government — to establish a new compensation program without congressional approval. The lawsuit became the most significant challenge to the fund and led U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema to issue a temporary injunction on May 29, halting the program's implementation while the court considered the case.
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Department of Justice Federal Officers stand guard outside the Department of Justice next to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (MDC Brooklyn) after the United States struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores overnight, in New York City, U.S., January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)
In granting the temporary restraining order, Brinkema found that the plaintiffs had raised serious legal questions about whether the executive branch had the authority to create and fund the Anti-Weaponization Fund without congressional approval. She also expressed concern that allowing the program to move forward could result in taxpayer money being distributed before the court had an opportunity to fully review the fund's legality.
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The Justice Department has not yet announced whether it will formally dissolve the fund, withdraw related filings or seek dismissal of the pending lawsuits following Blanche's announcement.
Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.
Source: Fox News - Politics
