Justice Department says it will abide by court order pausing its 'anti-weaponization' fund

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate appropriations hearing on May 19, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images The Justice Department on Monday said it will abide by a federal court ruling that puts the Trump administration's controversial $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund on hold while a legal challenge plays out in court. The Trump administration had said the fund would be available to those who alleged the federal government had been weaponized against them, a refrain popularized by some Trump supporters particularly during the Biden administration. Democratic lawmakers had called it a "slush fund" for Trump supporters, and even some Republican lawmakers were reluctant to support it. A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia last week temporarily blocked the creation of the anti-weaponization fund after a lawsuit from Democracy Forward and others. "The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people," the Justice Department posted on X . …