Overview
- A federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered sworn declarations from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Associate AG Stanley Woodward on June 12 to confirm the $1.776–$1.8 billion Anti‑Weaponization Fund would not proceed.
- The Justice Department told the court on Friday that formal signed declarations were "unnecessary" and that forcing them would raise serious separation‑of‑powers concerns, citing Blanche’s recent public testimony that the fund is "not moving forward."
- Judge Leonie M. Brinkema’s preliminary injunction blocking any creation or operation of the fund remains in place because no sworn rescission has been filed and no commission has been appointed or funds disbursed.
- Brinkema warned she would set a schedule for the litigation if the administration did not supply the court-ordered declarations, so the Virginia case is likely to proceed unless the court accepts the DOJ’s filing or the officials submit sworn statements.
- The dispute spotlights broader questions about settlement authority, use of Treasury mechanisms to finance payouts without new appropriations, and political fallout for senior DOJ officials facing scrutiny during confirmation and on Capitol Hill.