A federal judge in Virginia has extended a block on the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion settlement fund, which was intended to compensate people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government. The fund, also known as the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’, was created to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

Background

The Trump administration created the fund to compensate individuals who claim to have been targeted by the government. However, the fund has been met with fierce bipartisan backlash, with many arguing that it is a slush fund for compensating Trump’s allies. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund, but plaintiffs’ attorneys are not satisfied with his assurances that the fund won’t move forward.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the fund will remain blocked until further notice from the court. The judge gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Trump administration officials to submit a sworn declaration that the administration won’t revive the fund. Brinkema previously agreed to temporarily block the administration from proceeding with the fund for at least two weeks.

Implications

The block on the fund has significant implications for the Trump administration and its allies. Many of the president’s allies are opposed to compensating rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump issued mass pardons to Capitol rioters on his first day back in the White House last year, but the fund’s creation has raised concerns about the potential for further compensation.

The case has also raised questions about the government’s ability to divert taxpayer money into a fund for compensating individuals who claim to have been targeted by the government. Plaintiffs who sued to block fund payouts argue that the government can’t legally divert taxpayer money into what they argue is a slush fund for compensating Trump’s allies.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.