Virginia Judge Extends Block on Trump Administration's Proposed $1.8 Billion Fund
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia has indefinitely extended a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's proposed anti-weaponization fund, citing the Justice Department's failure to confirm under oath that the program is terminated.
A federal judge in Virginia has prolonged a court-ordered block on the Trump administration’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” saying the Justice Department has not provided a sworn declaration that the fund is dead. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema noted that statements from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and President Donald Trump about the fund’s status were not made “under the penalty of perjury.”
Brinkema questioned Justice Department attorney Andrew Block about why the department has not formally rescinded the memo that created the fund, and she warned that the lack of a clear record leaves a “huge gap.” The judge said she will give the government a week to submit a sworn statement from Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirming the fund’s termination.
The lawsuit challenges the administration’s plan to establish a fund intended to compensate individuals who claim they were “weaponized” or subjected to “lawfare” by the federal government, including some who were charged and later pardoned for actions related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Brinkema expressed concern that, if not truly dead, the fund could reappear in another form.
Plaintiffs welcomed the decision. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said the order prevents taxpayer dollars from being distributed while constitutional issues are considered. Omar Noureldin of Common Cause called the ruling a “massive win” for protecting tax dollars, and former federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd said the injunction continues to block the use of $1.776 billion of public funds for the proposed payments.
