Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testified during a Senate appropriations hearing on May 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Department has announced it will comply with a federal court’s decision to pause the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund. This decision comes amid ongoing legal challenges.
The fund was intended to assist individuals who claimed that the federal government had been weaponized against them. This idea gained traction among some Trump supporters during President Biden’s term. However, Democratic lawmakers criticized the fund, labeling it as a ‘slush fund’ for Trump supporters. Even some Republicans expressed reservations.
Last week, a federal judge in Virginia’s Eastern District blocked the fund’s creation. This temporary injunction followed a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward and other groups. In response, the Justice Department expressed its disagreement with the court’s ruling but confirmed it would abide by the decision.
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. However, the Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.
The fund was part of a settlement between former President Trump and the Justice Department. This resulted from a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over leaked tax returns. The court is considering whether to make the temporary block on the fund permanent, with a hearing scheduled for June 12.
Meanwhile, in Florida, another judge is reviewing the possibility of reopening Trump’s original lawsuit against the IRS. Both parties had announced a settlement and agreed to drop the case. Judge Kathleen Williams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida questioned the legitimacy of the case. She raised concerns that it created a conflict of interest, as Trump was on both sides of the dispute. Williams has requested a response from Trump’s lawyers by June 12 to determine if the case involved deception or if the court was misled.