Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jun 6: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has informed two federal courts that the Trump administration has abandoned its controversial “anti-weaponization fund”, arguing that ongoing legal challenges against the programme are now irrelevant because it is no longer being pursued.
The filings mark the first formal written confirmation by the administration that the fund has been shelved, following days of criticism and political opposition over its proposed structure and potential beneficiaries.
Earlier this week, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the programme would not move forward. A federal judge had already temporarily blocked work related to the fund.
In submissions filed before federal judges in Washington, DC, and Virginia, DOJ lawyers stated that the compensation programme “is now not going forward” and therefore no longer warrants judicial intervention.
“The equities and the public interest do not favor this court interjecting itself in a political process to shut down a fund that is already not going forward,” the department argued before Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia.
The fund had faced bipartisan criticism in Congress, with lawmakers expressing concern that it lacked sufficient safeguards and could potentially become a political slush fund benefiting allies of President Donald Trump.
Particular concerns were raised over the possibility that compensation payments could be extended to individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, including those convicted of assaulting police officers.
The Justice Department also argued that the plaintiffs challenging the fund lacked legal standing because they could not demonstrate direct harm from a programme that no longer exists.
According to the department, shutting down the fund through court action would not change the position of those who claimed they were excluded from receiving compensation.
The issue also generated divisions among Republicans in Congress. Some lawmakers delayed consideration of a major immigration funding bill while seeking assurances that the compensation programme would be dropped.
During discussions with lawmakers, Blanche reportedly stated that the Justice Department would not be “moving forward with the fund, period.”
Despite the administration's legal position, Trump has offered mixed signals regarding the programme's future.
Speaking to reporters a day after Blanche's comments, Trump said he was uncertain whether the fund had been permanently abandoned.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” Trump said. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a beautiful thing.”
The proposed fund stemmed from a settlement between the Internal Revenue Service and Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization, following the president's withdrawal of a $10 billion lawsuit alleging the IRS failed to protect confidential tax return information from an unauthorised leak.
While Trump himself was not expected to receive any financial compensation under the settlement, the Justice Department had previously indicated that he would receive a formal apology.