TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A federal judge has temporarily halted the creation of US President Donald Trump's proposed US$1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, dealing a significant setback to an initiative that has also faced growing opposition from within the Republican Party.
Judge Leonie Brinkema barred the US Department of Justice from taking any steps to establish or operate the fund, including processing or distributing claims, until a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 12.
The fund was created as part of an agreement to settle Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns. The administration said the fund was intended to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by politically motivated investigations during previous administrations.
However, the proposal has sparked controversy since it was announced last week.
As reported by BBC, the memorandum establishing the fund does not clearly specify who qualifies for compensation. Nevertheless, many Trump supporters who were prosecuted over the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol have publicly indicated that they plan to seek payments.
The initiative has drawn criticism from Democrats and several Republicans, who questioned the absence of explicit congressional authorization and raised concerns over limited oversight.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was not informed in advance about the fund and expressed reservations about how claims would be handled. "I'm not a big fan," Thune said, adding that it remained unclear how the compensation process would work.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell was even more critical.
"So the nation's top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — take your pick," McConnell said.
According to CNN, some allies of Trump have privately urged the White House to abandon the fund altogether due to the unusually strong backlash from Senate Republicans. The level of opposition is notable given Trump's continued influence over the Republican Party following recent primary victories by candidates he endorsed.
The legal challenge in Virginia was brought by two men who argued that the fund was discriminatory. They claimed they had been subjected to political retaliation by the Trump administration but believed they would not be eligible to seek compensation under the proposed program.
In response to the court order, the Department of Justice defended the initiative.
"We are extremely confident in the legality of the anti-weaponization fund, which is supported by ample precedent," a department spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the administration would not allow judicial intervention to obstruct efforts to compensate what it described as victims of politically motivated prosecutions.
The Virginia case is one of several legal challenges currently facing the fund. On the same day Judge Brinkema issued her order, another federal judge overseeing Trump's lawsuit against the IRS instructed the president to respond to allegations that he may have committed fraud on the court, prompting calls for further scrutiny of the settlement agreement.
BBC noted that a group of 35 former federal judges also sent a letter to the court last week urging a more thorough review of the settlement terms. Critics have raised concerns that the agreement not only created the compensation fund but also prevents the IRS from reviewing tax filings submitted by Trump, his family, and his businesses in the past.
The court battle is also complicating broader legislative negotiations in Washington. CNN revealed that senators left for the Memorial Day recess without advancing legislation tied to Trump's immigration priorities, amid concerns that controversy surrounding the fund could jeopardize support for a package that would allocate tens of billions of dollars to immigration enforcement and border security.
Legal experts expect the dispute to continue in both the courts and Congress.
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said that while the judge's ruling temporarily blocks the initiative, lawmakers could pursue legislation restricting the Justice Department's authority to implement the fund.
For now, the future of Trump's anti-weaponization fund remains uncertain as it faces mounting legal challenges, congressional scrutiny, and resistance from members of his own party.
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