Trump $1.8B fund draws interest

Why it matters

The U.S. Justice Department said on May 18 that it had created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of a settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The department said Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization would receive a formal apology but no direct payment, while the new fund would hear claims from others who say they were targeted by the government. NBC News reported this week that interest in the fund remains strong among Trump allies, Jan. 6 defendants and people pardoned for crimes during the Biden administration, even as lawsuits and political criticism mount. ### How was the fund created? The Justice Department said the fund was part of the settlement agreement in *President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service*, a case filed in federal court in South Florida after Trump tax return information was leaked. DOJ said the plaintiffs agreed to drop the lawsuit with prejudice in exchange for the fund’s creation and a formal apology, with no monetary damages paid to them directly. (justice.gov) The department said the fund will receive $1.776 billion from the judgment fund, a permanent appropriation used by DOJ to settle and pay cases. DOJ also said any money left over when the fund ends will revert to the federal government. ### Who could try to collect money? Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on May 19 that “anybody in this country can apply” to the fund, while saying a commission would decide the rules for compensation. (justice.gov) Under questioning, Blanche did not rule out applications from people convicted of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6, campaign donors, Proud Boys or Oath Keepers members. CBS News reported that lawyers and public relations advisers in Washington and New York began fielding inquiries after the fund was announced. CBS quoted Republican lawyer Dan Backer as saying he was “already fielding inquiries,” and publicist Juda Engelmayer as saying many clients who believe they were targeted by DOJ would want to submit claims. (cnbc.com) NBC News reported that the pool of interested claimants includes Trump allies, Jan. 6 defendants and people who received pardons, adding to legal and political scrutiny around the program. ### Why are police officers and critics suing? Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, sued on May 20 to block payouts from the fund. (cbsnews.com) The plaintiffs are former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges, according to an Associated Press report carried by PBS. (nbcnews.com) The lawsuit calls the fund an illegal “slush fund” and says it would “finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence” in Trump’s name. The suit argues that no statute authorizes the fund and asks the court to dissolve it. Republican criticism has also surfaced. (pbs.org) The Hill reported that some GOP lawmakers joined Democrats in questioning the fund, while Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, introduced legislation on May 20 aimed at blocking it. ### What is the White House saying about it? The White House said on May 26 that Trump and Vice President JD Vance are pursuing a “full-scale war on fraud,” describing a broader administration campaign against waste, abuse and fraudulent claims across federal programs. (pbs.org) The White House release did not describe the Anti-Weaponization Fund itself, but placed the administration’s message around law enforcement and fraud prevention at the center of its public defense. (thehill.com) JD Vance told reporters on May 19 that the fund had been “misrepresented” and said the administration was “not trying to give money to anybody who attacked a police officer.” Vance also said the government was trying to compensate people who were mistreated by the legal system, while declining to categorically rule out Jan. 6-related claimants and saying cases would be reviewed individually. (whitehouse.gov) ### What happens next? DOJ said a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general will oversee the fund, set the claims process and issue quarterly reports to the attorney general on who received relief and in what form. The department also said the fund can be audited at the attorney general’s direction. (cnbc.com) The Justice Department said claims are voluntary and that the fund must stop processing claims no later than December 1, 2028. The next immediate milestones are the appointment of commissioners, publication of eligibility rules and movement of money into the fund, which CBS News reported DOJ directed Treasury to complete within 60 days of the announcement. (justice.gov)

Key numbers

• The Justice Department said on May 18 it created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund after Donald Trump dropped his IRS lawsuit.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told senators on May 19 that “anybody in this country can apply,” while critics called the fund a slush fund.
• The five-member commission will set claim rules and the fund must stop processing claims by December 1, 2028.
• Justice Department said on May 18 that it had created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of a settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

What happens next

• Justice Department said on May 18 that it had created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of a settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
• (justice.gov) The department said the fund will receive $1.776 billion from the judgment fund, a permanent appropriation used by DOJ to settle and pay cases.
• DOJ also said any money left over when the fund ends will revert to the federal government.

Sources

• justice.gov
• cnbc.com
• cbsnews.com
• nbcnews.com
• pbs.org
• thehill.com
• whitehouse.gov

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