Judge extends block on Trump's $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'

By — Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-extends-block-on-trumps-1-8-billion-anti-weaponization-fund Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Judge extends block on Trump's $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Politics Jun 12, 2026 11:57 AM EDT ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge agreed on Friday to extend a court-ordered block on the Trump administration's creation and operation of a $1.8 billion settlement fund for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government. Earlier this month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund in the face of a fierce bipartisan backlash. Government attorneys have argued that lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, but plaintiffs' attorneys aren't satisfied by Blanche's assurances that the fund won't move forward. WATCH: Justice Department scraps Trump's 'anti-weaponization fund' after pushback from Congress Neither was U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who ruled that the fund will remain blocked until further notice from the court. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "The (government's) mootness argument, in my view, doesn't go anywhere," the judge said. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has not publicly and unequivocally endorsed its cancellation. He has continued to express support for the fund in remarks to reporters. Brinkema gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Blanche to submit a sworn declaration that the administration won't revive the fund. WATCH: Trump administration 'not moving forward' with anti-weaponization fund, Blanche testifies Brinkema previously agreed to temporarily block the administration from proceeding with the fund for at least two weeks. Her May 29 order was due to expire on Friday. Trump's Republican administration created the fund to resolve his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. Plaintiffs who sued to block fund payouts argue that the government can't legally divert taxpayer money into what they argue is a slush fund for compensating Trump's allies. In a separate case on Wednesday, a different judge in Washington, D.C., rejected a government watchdog's parallel request for a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from forging ahead with the fund. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said he accepts Blanche's representation that the fund is now moot. Leon had asked Justice Department attorney Andrew Block why Blanche doesn't formally rescind his May 18 order establishing the fund. Block said he didn't know. He still didn't have an answer to that question when Brinkema posed it two days later. WATCH: Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund hits setback amid political pressure from Repub