Trump's $1.8B payout fund

President Donald Trump’s administration created a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” on May 18 as part of a settlement ending Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax records. The Justice Department said the fund would hear claims from people who say they were victims of government “weaponization and lawfare,” while Trump, his son Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and the Trump Organization would receive no direct payment. (justice.gov) The deal instead gives those plaintiffs a formal apology and requires them to drop the Florida case with prejudice. The arrangement has drawn scrutiny because the money comes from the federal judgment fund and because many operating details remain unsettled or are controlled by officials appointed by Trump. ### Where did the $1.8 billion fund come from? The Justice Department said the fund was created through the settlement of *Trump v. Internal Revenue Service*, a case filed in the Southern District of Florida on January 29, 2026 and terminated on May 18, 2026. The plaintiffs were Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization, and the suit followed the unauthorized disclosure of Trump tax information. The amount is $1.776 billion, not an even $1.8 billion, and the department said the money will come from the judgment fund, a permanent appropriation used to settle and pay cases. Reuters reported the agreement resolved Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and that Trump will receive an apology but no financial payment. (justice.gov) ### Who controls the money and who can get paid? Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on May 18 that the fund would provide “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” The department said the fund can issue formal apologies and monetary relief to claimants and that there are “no partisan requirements” to file a claim. (justice.gov) Reuters reported Blanche will appoint four of the five commission members who decide claims. CNN reported the commission members are chosen by Trump’s attorney general and can be fired by the president at any time. Those features have become central to criticism that the process is too closely tied to Trump and his appointees. (justice.gov) ### Why are critics calling it opaque? The Justice Department said the fund will send quarterly reports to the attorney general identifying who received relief and what form of relief was awarded, and that the fund can be audited at the attorney general’s direction. But the department did not say those reports would automatically be made public. (justice.gov) Politico reported senators from both parties pressed Blanche on May 19 about oversight, eligibility and whether the account could become a “slush fund” for Jan. 6 defendants. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was “not a big fan” of the fund, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, “I’ve got more questions than I’ve heard answers for.” (usnews.com) ### Could Jan. 6 defendants or Trump allies apply? Reuters reported the settlement agreement cites examples of Biden-era actions conservatives have condemned, including prosecutions of anti-abortion activists for obstructing clinic access. Politico reported Blanche would not rule out that Jan. 6 rioters convicted of assaulting police might qualify, while Vice President JD Vance later said the administration was not trying to give money to anyone who attacked a police officer and that cases would be evaluated individually. (justice.gov) CNN reported at least one lawsuit seeking to halt implementation of the fund has already been filed in federal court in Washington. That challenge, if it proceeds, is likely to become one of the first public tests of how much discretion the administration has over the program. (politico.com) ### What happens next? December 1, 2028 is the deadline the Justice Department set for the fund to stop processing claims. The department said any money left when the fund ceases operations will revert to the federal government, and quarterly reports are to be sent to the attorney general as claims are decided. (justice.gov) (edition.cnn.com) (usnews.com)