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The Department of Justice announced Monday the creation of a $1.7 billion “anti-weaponization fund” intended to compensate supporters of President Donald Trump whom the administration says were unfairly targeted under the Biden administration.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the initiative as “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress,” according to the Associated Press.
The announcement came the same day the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax records.
“Per the settlement, plaintiffs will receive a formal apology but no monetary payment or damages of any kind. There are no partisan requirements to file a claim. Any money left when the Fund ceases operations will revert to the Federal Government,” the DOJ posted on X.
The president originally filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS following a 2023 incident in which former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn disclosed the president’s tax returns to media outlets.
Littlejohn later pleaded guilty in federal court and received a five-year prison sentence for the leak.
Under President Trump’s second administration, Justice Department officials have increasingly argued that federal agencies and legal institutions were used for partisan purposes during the Biden presidency, particularly against Trump allies and political supporters.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department sued the District of Columbia Bar, alleging the attorney disciplinary system was used to politically target Trump associates, including former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.
“President Trump promised to put an end to the weaponization of the legal process, and today’s lawsuit against the D.C. Bar makes good on that promise,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who filed the complaint.
“The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive Executive Branch deliberations and target Executive Branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and Federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues,” he added.
