The Trump administration is dropping its anti-weaponization fund initiative after a district court judge ruled against it.
“The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people,” the DOJ said in a statement. “This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema wrote in the order that the DOJ is enjoined from “taking any further action pursuant to the creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which includes the transferring of money to the Fund; the consideration of any claims submitted to the Fund; and the disbursing of any funds from the Fund.”
The fund was announced earlier this month by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Blanche said in a statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”
According to a document describing the Fund, that which is deposited into the “Designated Account may be used to pay for per diems, administrative services, funds, facilities, staff, travel, and other support services as may be necessary to carry out the mission of the Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
