Judge Orders Review of Trump's $1.8 Billion 'Anti-Weaponization' Fund

A federal judge in Florida has agreed to review the Trump administration's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization fund,' following a motion from 35 former federal judges who argue the settlement that created it was a 'fraud on the court.' U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, ordered Trump's lawyers to respond to the motion, which claims the president was both plaintiff and defendant in the underlying lawsuit against the IRS, making the settlement illegitimate.

The fund was established after Trump sued the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, but instead of going to trial, the administration settled by creating the taxpayer-supported fund. The former judges, appointed by both Democrats and Republicans, described the lawsuit as a justification for 'looting' American taxpayers and called the settlement a form of 'collusion' between the president's lawyers and the federal government.

Williams had initially dismissed the case after the settlement but now says the court is 'empowered to investigate serious misconduct.' Separately, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia temporarily froze the fund on Friday, ordering Trump officials to stop disbursing money to ensure no funds are 'irreversibly disbursed.' Brinkema set a June 12 hearing to consider extending the freeze.

The fund, which has drawn criticism as a 'slush fund' for Trump allies and January 6 rioters, was challenged in a lawsuit by former Justice Department lawyer Andrew Floyd and others, who argue it was never approved by Congress and 'rewards and incentivizes unlawful behavior.' Legal experts, including USC law professor Adam Zimmerman, say the fund is unprecedented, as it offers money to an indeterminate group without any legal action or identifiable injuries. The Justice Department has vowed to 'make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes.'