The Department of Justice created a fund for victims of “weaponization and lawfare.” The $1.7 billion fund is a part of a settlement agreement in President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service. President Trump and his sons, Donald J. Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, as well as the Trump Organization, filed a lawsuit against the Treasury and the IRS following the leak of their tax returns. With the creation of the fund, the Trumps will drop the case with prejudice.
The fund will have the authority to issue formal apologies and monetary relief to claimants. A similar fund was created under the Obama administration to address claims of racism against the federal government.
“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,” Acting Attorney General Todd 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.”
The fund is the latest anti-weaponization effort from the DOJ. Its Weaponization Working Group recently reviewed hundreds of thousands of records detailing how the Biden Justice Department systematically targeted peaceful pro-life Christians while shielding abortion clinics and their allies from scrutiny.
