US judge indefinitely blocks Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund [View all]
Source: Reuters
US judge indefinitely blocks Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund
By Reuters
June 12, 2026 10:56 AM EDT Updated 13 mins ago
Pulitzer Prize finalist for Breaking News Photography
Law enforcement officers stand amid smoke from a smoke grenade released to disperse demonstrators in front of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Portland, Oregon, U.S., October 4, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge indefinitely blocked a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund supported by President Donald Trump on Friday, giving the administration one week to provide a sworn statement that the fund will not go forward.
Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a preliminary injunction blocking the fund. ... The judge issued a temporary halt to the fund last week that was set to expire on Friday.
The fund emerged from a settlement agreement between Trump and the Justice Department over the president's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The Justice Department set up a $1.776 billion fund overseen by a five-member commission to dole out payments to those who show they were victims of "lawfare" and "weaponization," terms Trump and his allies have used to describe investigations and criminal cases against them.
Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Michelle Nichols
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-indefinitely-blocks-trumps-anti-weaponization-fund-2026-06-12/
First draft:
https://bsky.app/profile/ericcolumbus.bsky.social
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Eric Columbus
@ericcolumbus.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge Brinkema in E.D.Va. grants preliminary injunction against Trump's slush fund, holding that case is not moot, that at least one plaintiff has standing and is likely to succeed on the merits. Gives govt one week to get sworn declaration from Blanche/Bessent that fund is truly dead.
Some protestor outside Alexandria courthouse with sign NO TERRORIST SLUSH FUND
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10:54 AM · Jun 12, 2026
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BREAKING: Judge Brinkema in E.D.Va. grants preliminary injunction against Trump’s slush fund, holding that case is not moot, that at least one plaintiff has standing and is likely to succeed on the merits. Gives govt one week to get sworn declaration from Blanche/Bessent that fund is truly dead.
— Eric Columbus (@ericcolumbus.bsky.social) 2026-06-12T14:53:57.344Z
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