Overview
- The Justice Department, in a Monday announcement, said it will create a roughly $1.7–$1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund after President Trump moved to dismiss his $10 billion IRS lawsuit over a 2019 leak of his tax returns.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump and his companies will receive an apology but no cash, and an addendum released Tuesday bars the IRS from pursuing back tax claims against Trump, his family, or his businesses.
- The fund will be run by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general, with one seat selected in consultation with congressional leaders, and members can be removed by the president; the panel can grant apologies and monetary relief through Dec. 15, 2028.
- Money will come from the government’s judgment fund, an existing Treasury account DOJ uses to pay settlements without new votes by Congress, and the department offered few details on who qualifies or how claims will be judged beyond quarterly reports to the attorney general.
- Nearly 100 House Democrats filed a court brief Monday calling the deal collusive and unconstitutional, watchdogs labeled it a taxpayer-funded slush fund, and even some Republicans voiced doubts, while Blanche testified Tuesday that anyone — including some January 6 defendants — could apply.