A federal court has halted the Trump administration’s plan to establish a $1.776 billion fund intended to compensate alleged victims of government weaponization.
Eko Hot News reports that the U.S. Justice Department has confirmed it will comply with a ruling by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who temporarily blocked the creation and distribution of funds linked to the programme.
The judge issued the injunction while a legal challenge against the initiative continues in court, scheduling a further hearing for June 12.
The proposed fund was designed to compensate individuals the administration claims were unfairly targeted during the Biden administration.
According to the Justice Department, the initiative was intended to support people it described as victims of political or institutional abuse.
However, Judge Brinkema ruled that the programme cannot proceed in any form pending full judicial review.
The Justice Department publicly disagreed with the ruling but confirmed it would abide by the court’s decision.
Officials maintained that the fund was intended to apply broadly to individuals across political affiliations.
The department insisted it was created to address what it called abuse and targeting by government institutions.
The legal dispute stems from a broader settlement involving a $10 billion lawsuit filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The case was brought by Donald Trump, along with members of his family and the Trump Organization.
They accused an IRS contractor of improperly leaking confidential tax information to media outlets.
The settlement reportedly included provisions limiting future audits and claims involving Trump and his businesses.
Media reports suggest the administration may now be reconsidering the future of the fund entirely.
According to sources cited by The New York Times, discussions have been ongoing about potentially scrapping the initiative.
Some officials reportedly believe the court ruling provides an opportunity to step back from the proposal.
It remains unclear whether abandoning the fund would affect related legal protections included in the settlement.
The proposal has sparked political debate in Washington, with supporters describing it as corrective justice.
Critics, however, have labelled it a politically motivated “slush fund” with unclear eligibility criteria.
Concerns were also raised about whether individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol events could benefit from it.
The issue was reportedly discussed at a White House meeting involving House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The administration maintains that government “weaponization” affected individuals beyond Trump himself.
Officials say no final decision has been made regarding the fund’s future direction.
The matter remains under judicial review as the legal and political debate continues.
