Federal judge blocks Trump administration's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from establishing a nearly $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate victims of alleged government "weaponisation." US District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the order on Friday (May 29), preventing the administration from taking any further steps to set up or operate the fund while the court considers additional legal arguments. The Justice Department announced the creation of the "anti-weaponisation Fund" last week as part of a settlement agreement resolving President Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. That lawsuit stemmed from the leak of Trump's personal tax records.

Judge Brinkema's ruling puts the fund on hold pending further judicial review, though it stops short of a permanent decision on its legality. The administration has not yet publicly responded to the ruling.

The fund was framed by the Trump administration as a means of providing relief to individuals who claim they were targeted by what the president has described as the politically motivated misuse of government institutions. Critics, however, have raised legal concerns about the fund's structure and the terms of the settlement that created it.

The case is expected to continue with further hearings in the Eastern District of Virginia.