Judge orders Justice Department to formally address status of anti-weaponization fund
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered the Justice Department to file a formal response on whether the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund remains active, after the agency declined to provide a signed declaration.
A federal judge in Virginia has instructed the Justice Department to submit a formal filing on the status of the Trump-era "Anti-Weaponization Fund," rejecting the agency’s reliance on recent congressional testimony as sufficient proof that the program is defunct. The order, issued by District Judge Leonie Brinkema on Wednesday, follows the department’s refusal to issue a signed declaration that the $1.776 billion fund is not moving forward.
Judge Brinkema said she was not convinced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s testimony before Congress and noted the President’s continued support for the fund, as well as Blanche’s acknowledgment that it remains "important." She directed the DOJ to provide a new response within weeks and indicated that Blanche could be required to answer further questions in a deposition.
The fund, announced by the Justice Department in May, was intended to compensate individuals who claim they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration.