{"id":299,"date":"2026-06-12T17:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=299"},"modified":"2026-06-12T17:38:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:38:51","slug":"court-extends-block-on-anti-weaponization-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=299","title":{"rendered":"Court extends block on ‘anti-weaponization’ fund"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A federal judge in Virginia on Friday extended a block on the Trump administration proceeding with an $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund, finding the administration\u2019s claims of its demise insufficient.<\/p>\n

Read more Senate panel sets markup on college sports bill<\/a><\/p>\n

Ruling from the bench, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the administration cannot move forward with the fund while the lawsuit challenging it proceeds.<\/p>\n

Brinkema said statements by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to Congress that the fund was \u201cnot moving forward\u201d were not enough. A Justice Department filing had argued the lawsuit is moot, but the challengers to the fund questioned if the Justice Department truly is abandoning the program.<\/p>\n

Brinkema brought up the possibility that the administration may have strategically dropped the fund to escape the lawsuits against it, and said, \u201cthe issue in my view is not moot.\u201d<\/p>\n

During Friday\u2019s hearing she also cited President Donald Trump\u2019s own statements since her initial ruling that he still wanted the fund to go forward. The fact that a sitting president wants the fund to happen is a \u201cpretty good indication that there is some incentive or motive to make it happen,\u201d the judge said.<\/p>\n

Brinkema gave the administration a week to enter a binding statement from both Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent formally saying the fund would never go forward. If that statement was entered, Brinkema said she may dismiss the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit was brought by several individuals, Common Cause, the National Abortion Federation and the city of New Haven, Conn., after the announcement of the fund last month. The DOJ announced the $1.8 billion fund as part of settling the lawsuit Trump brought against his own administration over the leak of Trump\u2019s tax returns during his first term.<\/p>\n

The fund would allow people harmed by \u201cweaponization\u201d of prior Democratic administrations to apply for compensation. The board of the fund would be approved by Blanche and Trump could remove any members at will.<\/p>\n

After bipartisan concerns about the fund delayed a vote on the reconciliation law, Blanche last week testified before House appropriators that the fund was \u201cnot moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s Wallet: From golf clubs to crypto, a decade of presidential finances<\/a><\/p>\n

At the court hearing Friday, Justice Department attorney Andrew Block said the lawsuit should be dismissed because of Blanche\u2019s statements and court filings that the administration has not taken any steps to its implementation.<\/p>\n

However, after being asked why Blanche has not rescinded the initial order setting up the fund, Block also said he didn\u2019t know and could not answer why.<\/p>\n

Block also argued in opposition to the order against the fund, saying an injunction on the federal government\u2019s conduct of \u201clawful business\u201d was presumably an injury.<\/p>\n

Brinkema questioned the legality of the underlying fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think this is lawful business? The only reason this fund exists is because of a settlement of a lawsuit that is now seriously under scrutiny in another court,\u201d Brinkema said.<\/p>\n

Brinkema also read from a portion of a brief filed by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., opposing the fund. In their brief, Booker and Cassidy called the fund a \u201cscheme\u201d to reward people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and who Trump has already pardoned.<\/p>\n

Brinkema called the fund \u201cproblematic\u201d and said of the use of taxpayer funds means \u201cseparation of powers is absolutely involved in this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the separate Florida litigation, both Trump and the administration face a Friday deadline to explain whether the two sides were sufficiently separate to be considered court adversaries.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump exaggerates previous spending on Reflecting Pool<\/a><\/p>\n

Brinkema mentioned that litigation several times during Friday\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A federal judge in Virginia on Friday extended a block on the Trump administration proceeding with an $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund, finding the administration\u2019s claims of its demise insufficient. Ruling from the bench, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the administration cannot move forward with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policy"],"yoast_head":"\nCourt extends block on ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - American Industry Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=299\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Court extends block on ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - American Industry Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A federal judge in Virginia on Friday extended a block on the Trump administration proceeding with an $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund, finding the administration\u2019s claims of its demise insufficient. 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