The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge in Virginia halted the Trump administration’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund on May 29, temporarily blocking the Justice Department from taking the next steps needed to put the program into effect. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema set a June 12 hearing for further arguments after plaintiffs challenged the fund’s creation. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/8baaee6aa8d83f0ad2905f5f8d457dec?utm_source=openai))

The order pauses implementation for now. It blocks the government from transferring money into the fund, weighing claims, or making any payouts while the case moves forward. It does not decide whether the fund is lawful. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/8baaee6aa8d83f0ad2905f5f8d457dec?utm_source=openai))

The Justice Department announced the fund on May 18 as part of a settlement in President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service. According to the department, the settlement resolved Trump’s lawsuit over the leak of his tax returns, and the plaintiffs — Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization — agreed to drop their lawsuit with prejudice and withdraw two related administrative claims. The department said the plaintiffs would receive a formal apology, but no damages. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-anti-weaponization-fund?utm_source=openai))

The department said the fund would total $1.776 billion and would provide a process for claims from people who say they were harmed by government “weaponization” or “lawfare.” The DOJ also said the fund would be overseen by a five-member commission and that any money left over would revert to the federal government. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-anti-weaponization-fund?utm_source=openai))

For now, though, the fund is frozen at the starting line. The court’s May 29 order blocks the rollout while the legal fight continues, with the next round set for June 12. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/8baaee6aa8d83f0ad2905f5f8d457dec?utm_source=openai))