US judge indefinitely blocks Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Reuters

US judge indefinitely blocks Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund

By Reuters
June 12, 2026 10:56 AM EDT Updated 13 mins ago


Pulitzer Prize finalist for Breaking News Photography
Law enforcement officers stand amid smoke from a smoke grenade released to disperse demonstrators in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Portland, Oregon, U.S., October 4, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge indefinitely blocked a $1.8 ​billion "anti-weaponization" fund supported by President Donald ‌Trump on Friday, giving the administration one week to provide a sworn statement ​that the fund will not ​go forward.

Judge Leonie Brinkema of the ⁠U.S. District Court for the ​Eastern District of Virginia issued a preliminary ​injunction blocking the fund. ... The judge issued a temporary halt to the fund last week ​that was set to expire on ​Friday.

The fund emerged from a settlement agreement ‌between ⁠Trump and the Justice Department over the president's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

The Justice Department ​set up ​a $1.776 ⁠billion fund overseen by a five-member commission to dole ​out payments to those who ​show ⁠they were victims of "lawfare" and "weaponization," terms Trump and his allies have used ⁠to ​describe investigations and criminal ​cases against them.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Writing by ​Doina Chiacu; editing by Michelle Nichols

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-indefinitely-blocks-trumps-anti-weaponization-fund-2026-06-12/

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First draft:

https://bsky.app/profile/ericcolumbus.bsky.social

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Eric Columbus
‪@ericcolumbus.bsky.social‬

BREAKING: Judge Brinkema in E.D.Va. grants preliminary injunction against Trump's slush fund, holding that case is not moot, that at least one plaintiff has standing and is likely to succeed on the merits. Gives govt one week to get sworn declaration from Blanche/Bessent that fund is truly dead.

Some protestor outside Alexandria courthouse with sign NO TERRORIST SLUSH FUND
ALT
10:54 AM · Jun 12, 2026
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BREAKING: Judge Brinkema in E.D.Va. grants preliminary injunction against Trump’s slush fund, holding that case is not moot, that at least one plaintiff has standing and is likely to succeed on the merits. Gives govt one week to get sworn declaration from Blanche/Bessent that fund is truly dead.

— Eric Columbus (@ericcolumbus.bsky.social) 2026-06-12T14:53:57.344Z

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Good

The slush fund is just one step from an extortion shake down racket for criminals nationwide. "I will commit crimes if you don't pay me!"

[NJCher]

2. Thank you, protester!

There was quite a discussion last night on Jenn Psaki’s show about how they were still planning to weasel this through. Consequently, this action by the judge is very important..

I think it was Jenn, but I could be wrong. Someone please correct me if I am. I watched a number of shows and can’t remember exactly which one..

[peppertree]

5. One way he seems to be weaseling out from under the court order: The Board of Piss

Needy Amin, as you may have heard, is planning to paw around $10 billion in Treasury funds into the board - which is mostly made of 3rd world banana republics with authoritarian rulers.

One of the best-known - that Chucky-doll Milei in Argentina - is rumored to have diverted hundreds of millions of his U.S. taxpayer bailout from last October into said board (minus 3% for his witch-doctor sister - her standard commission on all Argentine federal contracts).

Both Cheeto and Milei love triangulating deals - so it would figure.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Judge extends block on Trump's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund

Judge extends block on Trump’s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund

The Associated Press
June 12, 2026, 11:09 AM

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. ... President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has not publicly and unequivocally endorsed its cancellation.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the government’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will remain blocked until further notice from the court. She gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Blanche to submit a sworn declaration that the administration won’t revive the fund.

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.

{snip}

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Judge Blocks Anti-Weaponization Slush Fund

No one trusts Blanche or trump and so a court enjoined this fund

Link to tweet

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/judge-blocks-anti-weaponization-slush-fund

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — In a major blow to President Trump’s anti-weaponization slush fund, a federal judge in Virginia issued a preliminary injunction blocking the fund. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema gave the administration a week to file a declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the fund is not going forward.

Brinkema issued her ruling from the bench after a brief Friday hearing in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. The judge’s decision swept away arguments raised by the administration that she lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and that other procedural problems meant that it should prevail. She ran Justice Department lawyer Andrew Bloch through his paces on why the administration had not committed to rescinding the fund in writing.

Ultimately, Brinkema found that all the elements were met to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the fund from going forward. But she did give the administration one week to file a declaration from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, under penalty of perjury, formally rescinding the fund. While plaintiffs were initially hesitant about whether the declaration would be sufficient for them to dismiss their case, the judge said that she would likely find that declaration sufficient to render the case moot.