A federal judge in Virginia agreed on Friday to indefinitely block the Justice Department's $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, preventing any payments from being distributed while legal challenges proceed.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema extended her earlier temporary restraining order during a hearing, maintaining the prohibition on all disbursements from the fund for the duration of the lawsuit. The decision came after the Trump administration had announced earlier this month that it was scrapping plans for the fund following fierce bipartisan backlash.
The Trump administration established the fund to compensate people claiming to be victims of government weaponization. The effort also aimed to resolve the president's lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.
Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy group, brought the lawsuit challenging the fund's legality and requesting that courts prevent any disbursements while the case continues. The group has argued the fund lacks proper congressional authorization and oversight.
Government attorneys have contended that the lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, pointing to Todd Blanche, the acting U.S. attorney general's announcement that the government is abandoning the initiative. However, plaintiffs' attorneys expressed skepticism about those assurances and sought to maintain the court's block on the fund.
The indefinite injunction means no payments can be distributed regardless of how long the legal challenge takes to proceed through the courts. Judge Brinkema's decision upholds the principle that the court will maintain control over the fund's status until all litigation is resolved.
The $1.8 billion allocation represents a significant commitment within the Justice Department's budget. The fund was positioned as a mechanism to address what the administration described as targeted treatment of individuals for political reasons. However, critics raised questions about the fund's legal foundation and whether the Justice Department had the authority to unilaterally establish such a compensation program without explicit congressional approval.
The legal battle surrounding the fund reflects broader tensions over the scope of executive authority and the proper procedures for government spending. Democrats and some Republicans argued that creating the fund circumvented standard appropriations processes and lacked necessary oversight.
The Justice Department has not indicated whether it will appeal Friday's ruling or pursue alternative approaches regarding the compensation mechanism. The administration's earlier announcement that it was abandoning the fund may complicate any potential appeals, though government lawyers suggested the cases should be dismissed as moot.
The judge's decision to maintain the indefinite block ensures that the fund remains frozen while courts examine whether its creation was legally sound.