Members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee pressed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over a nearly $1.8 billion Justice Department fund created through a settlement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The Anti-Weaponization Fund is designed to compensate people who claim they were harmed by prior administrations’ use of law enforcement for political purposes. A five-member commission appointed by the attorney general will adjudicate claims and may issue payments or formal apologies.
Democratic senators demanded an independent audit and warned the fund could channel taxpayer money to political allies without public disclosure of recipients. Republican lawmakers also raised concerns that people convicted of assaulting police during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack might qualify for payouts.
Blanche told appropriators the fund draws from the Judgment Fund and is not unprecedented, though critics called the arrangement a slush fund. Officers who defended the Capitol filed suit seeking to block disbursements. Democrats filed an amicus brief in federal court challenging the settlement’s structure.
The fund must cease processing claims no later than December 1, 2028, with unused money reverting to the federal government, according to Justice Department announcements. Quarterly reports will outline recipients and award types, though Democrats noted the settlement does not require public identification of all claimants. Capitol Police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 filed suit on May 21 seeking to block payouts to their assailants.
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Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-fed-chair-warsh-mike-lawler-ice-budget-iran-live-updates-rcna346431