Key facts
- A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block the Department of Justice's $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund.
- The judge warned the DOJ not to 'play possum with this court' regarding the fund.
- The fund was intended to provide payments to individuals claiming government wrongdoing.
- The DOJ had previously stated it was abandoning the fund after a temporary block by another judge.
- President Trump has defended the fund and expressed hope for its reinstitution.
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sought to block the Department of Justice's (DOJ) $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, denied the group's request for a temporary restraining order. The watchdog group had argued the fund was "brazenly illegal" because Congress did not authorize it.
During the hearing, Leon warned DOJ attorney Andrew Block not to "play possum with this court" regarding the fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had announced the fund's creation last month, stating it would compensate individuals who successfully argue the government wronged them.
The fund faced bipartisan backlash, with concerns that individuals convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack could receive taxpayer money. The DOJ had previously indicated it was backing down from the fund after a federal judge in Virginia temporarily halted payouts. Blanche told a House Appropriations subcommittee on June 2 that the DOJ was "not moving forward" with the fund, though he did not commit to its abandonment in writing.
President Trump, however, defended the fund in a recent interview, calling it a "great idea" and expressing hope for its reinstitution if approved. The DOJ created the fund as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Trump against the IRS.