Judge orders DOJ to identify masterminds behind defunct lawfare fund
A federal judge ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disclose the identities of those responsible for creating the now-canceled $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund aimed at compensating individuals who claimed they were improperly targeted by federal investigations. The ruling came as part of a lawsuit challenging the fund, which was initially announced by the DOJ in May as part of a settlement related to President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over the leak of his tax records. The fund faced bipartisan backlash, especially regarding potential payouts to those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, leading to its cancellation after objections from Trump and Attorney general Todd Blanche.
The judge’s order requires the DOJ to reveal who conceived and designed the fund, though the scope is narrower than plaintiffs initially requested, who sought broader disclosure of all individuals involved. The case highlights ongoing legal disputes, including requests for documents about the fund’s development. The ruling stipulates that the information about the fund’s creators be kept confidential during the litigation process. the decision marks a notable development in uncovering the origins and planning behind the controversial fund amidst ongoing legal challenges.
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Department of Justice to reveal the masterminds behind the now-dead $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund intended to compensate people who claim the federal government improperly targeted them in investigations.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis ruled that the DOJ must turn over the names as part of a lawsuit challenging the fund, which Attorney General Todd Blanche has since said is canceled.
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“Who came up with it? That’s what conception means,” Davis said during a hearing in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, according to the Washington Post.
The ruling is narrower than what the plaintiffs had requested. Plaintiffs sought information identifying people involved in conceiving, creating, and carrying out the fund. Davis said such a sweeping request began to resemble a “fishing expedition,” but determined the identities of those who designed the fund were relevant to the case.
The fund was announced by the DOJ in May as part of an agreement settling President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax records. The proposal would have directed money from the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund to compensate people who claimed they were politically targeted by federal investigations during the Biden administration.
The proposal quickly drew bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, particularly over the possibility that people prosecuted for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot could receive payouts.
Trump and Blanche said the administration would no longer move forward with the fund, as it caused a kerfuffle with GOP senators, posing a threat to Blanche’s attorney general nomination.
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But lawsuits challenging the proposal have continued. The Virginia case has reached discovery, allowing the challengers to seek documents and information about how the program was developed. The plaintiffs include former federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd, who worked on Jan. 6 cases before being fired by the Trump administration.
Davis’s Friday ruling means the government must now disclose who devised the fund’s structure, but the information will not necessarily be made available to the public. Davis directed the parties to treat discovery materials as protected from public disclosure while the litigation continues.
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