How Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded $1.8 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund Works

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a nearly $1.776 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund,' a figure symbolically chosen to match the country's founding year of 1776. The fund was created as part of a settlement in which President Trump, his two adult sons, and the Trump Organization agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit they had filed against the IRS over leaks of their tax returns in 2019 and 2020. Legal observers noted this was the first known instance of a sitting president suing his own government over events that occurred during his own administration.

One day after the settlement was reached, the DOJ added an addendum shielding the lawsuit's plaintiffs — Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization — from any IRS enforcement related to their past tax returns, further intensifying conflict-of-interest concerns. The fund draws its money from the Judgment Fund, a permanent taxpayer-funded appropriation established in 1956 to allow the DOJ to settle cases, which critics argue was never intended by Congress to be used in this manner.

The fund will be overseen by a five-member volunteer commission appointed by Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal defense lawyer. Only one commissioner will be selected in consultation with congressional leaders, and Trump retains the authority to fire commissioners without cause. Payments can be approved by as few as two commission members, and the criteria for awards are described as broadly open-ended. Any remaining balance at the fund's expiration in December 2028 will revert to the federal government and can be deposited into any account of the president's choosing.

Critics, including Democrats and some Republicans, have panned the fund as a potential slush fund for political allies, with particular concern that January 6th rioters who assaulted Capitol Police officers could receive payouts — a possibility Attorney General Blanche has not ruled out. Two Capitol Police officers injured on January 6th have filed a lawsuit against Trump over the fund's creation. Bipartisan legislative efforts are underway to shut it down, including a joint effort by Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Tom Suozzi of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Despite the controversy, Trump publicly denied significant involvement in the fund's creation. Legal experts note that while nothing is overtly illegal, the arrangement represents a significant constitutional end-run around Congress's role in determining how taxpayer money is spent.