UMVA has learned that a federal judge has indefinitely blocked the Trump administration’s $1.776 billion Anti‑Weaponization Fund, delivering a decisive blow to a scheme that many feared could be resurrected.
The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who extended an earlier court order and warned that vague assurances from officials were not enough to erase the specter of a future revival.
Brinkema highlighted the President’s own comments on “Meet the Press,” where he lamented that the fund was not moving forward and suggested he would pay “the kind of money that they deserve,” underscoring the lingering temptation to reopen the pot.
In response, the judge granted the Justice Department one week to submit a written declaration that the fund is permanently terminated and will never be reinstated.
Earlier this week, another judge, Richard Leon, declined to intervene after the Justice Department claimed the fund had been abandoned, yet he cautioned officials not to “play possum” with the court.
Leon’s skepticism centered on the fact that the settlement agreement and the May 18 directive establishing the fund’s procedures have never been formally rescinded, leaving a legal foothold that could be re‑activated.
Critics have long argued that the fund, born from a settlement with the IRS, was a “slush fund” poised to reward political allies and even those charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
CREW’s attorneys pointed out that the settlement still mandates a five‑member board by June 17 and funding transfers by July 17, meaning the entity remains alive on paper.
While the Justice Department’s attorney claimed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s congressional testimony mooted the challenge, the judges pressed for a formal rescission of the original order.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the administration now faces mounting pressure to dismantle the fund entirely, lest it risk further judicial sanctions and renewed legal battles.
