Is the Trump administration dropping its anti-weaponization fund?

WASHINGTON —

Several media outlets reported on Monday that the Trump administration is planning to drop its controversial anti-weaponization fund that was set up to compensate alleged victims of politically motivated prosecutions after it faced bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill.

The White House didn’t directly respond to emailed questions about the fate of the $1.8 billion pot of taxpayer dollars, which was created to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Instead, the White House referenced a Justice Department statement responding to a ruling on Friday. A federal judge temporarily paused the formation of the fund and any payouts, pending another hearing scheduled for June 12.

The DOJ said that it “disagrees strongly” with the ruling but would abide by it. The department didn’t immediately clarify whether the Trump administration planned to dissolve the anti-weaponization fund permanently, a possibility that was first reported by Axios but not publicly confirmed as of Monday afternoon.

On Monday evening, the Associated Press reported that the president was “reconsidering” whether to move forward with the fund.

Trump has often criticized the Biden administration’s approach to law enforcement, but the DOJ has insisted that the fund “was open to anybody” who was unfairly targeted by the government, regardless of party affiliation.

Many raised concerns that Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could receive compensation, which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche didn’t rule out during recent hearings on Capitol Hill.

Several Republicans spoke out against the fund, and some demanded additional guardrails, such as limiting who can receive payouts.

The feud has been holding up a Republican bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it’s a “safe bet” that the party-line legislation would not move forward unless GOP senators recieved assurances from the White House.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters later Monday.

Even if that happens, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would push for legislation to “ban this slush fund and ensure no president can ever do this again.”

“Trump’s word is nowhere near enough,” Schumer said.