{"id":2616411,"date":"2026-06-19T17:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-wont-sign-declaration-over-canceled-anti-weaponization-fund\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T17:47:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:47:17","slug":"doj-wont-sign-declaration-over-canceled-anti-weaponization-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-wont-sign-declaration-over-canceled-anti-weaponization-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ won&#8217;t sign declaration over canceled anti-weaponization fund"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-wont-sign-declaration-over-canceled-anti-weaponization-fund%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2616411&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Justice Department declined to provide sworn declarations from senior officials,including acting Attorney General Todd Blanche,to confirm that President Trump&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blanche-meets-with-grassley-as-he-looks-to-secure-attorney-general-confirmation\/\" title=\"... meets with Grassley as he looks to secure attorney general ...ation\">proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-doj-announces-1-776-billion-anti-weaponization-fund\/\" title=\"Trump ... announces .776 billion &#039;anti-weaponization&#039; ...\">anti-weaponization fund<\/a><\/a> has been abandoned. The DOJ argued that such declarations are unnecessary since the administration has repeatedly stated the fund is not moving forward, and that requiring officials&#8217; sworn statements raises separation-of-powers concerns. A federal judge had previously blocked the creation of the fund, which aimed to compensate individuals targeted by federal investigations, but critics worried it might benefit Trump supporters or January 6 defendants. The DOJ emphasized that statements from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-environmental-appointee-faces-conflict-of-interest-scrutiny-on-hill\/\" title=\"Biden Environmental Appointee Faces Conflict of Interest Scrutiny on Hill\">high-level officials<\/a> should suffice and that judicial demands for personal attestations coudl interfere with executive functions. The judge, though, expressed skepticism and indicated she might require written sworn affidavits to confirm the fund&#8217;s status, potentially prolonging the case. The controversy highlights ongoing disputes over the fund, which the administration disavowed after initial proposals and criticism from both parties.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> refused Friday to provide a sworn declaration from acting Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a> confirming that President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s proposed anti-weaponization fund has been abandoned, arguing that a federal judge\u2019s demand for such assurances raises separation-of-powers concerns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.vaed.596617\/gov.uscourts.vaed.596617.93.0.pdf\">filing submitted<\/a> Friday to U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, the DOJ said sworn statements from Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, and Treasury Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/scott-bessent\/\">Scott Bessent<\/a> were unnecessary because the administration has repeatedly stated that the fund \u201cis not going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4617021\/judge-allow-doj-release-biden-audio-heritage-foundation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge allows DOJ to release Biden interview audio to Heritage Foundation<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4616858\/florida-subpoena-mlb-selectively-enforce-rule-christian\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida subpoenas MLB for \u2018selectively enforcing\u2019 uniform rules to reprimand Christian pitchers<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4616376\/ninth-circuit-ministries-hiring-like-minded-employees\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ninth Circuit to weigh if religious ministries can limit hiring to like-minded employees<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSuch declarations are unnecessary and the compelled testimony of senior officials from the Executive Branch implicates serious separation of powers concerns,\u201d DOJ attorneys wrote, in addition to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.vaed.596617\/gov.uscourts.vaed.596617.93.1.pdf\">attaching a copy<\/a> of Blanche\u2019s recent congressional testimony to the filing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ\u2019s submission comes one week after Brinkema, a nominee of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-clinton\/\">Bill Clinton<\/a>, indefinitely blocked the administration from creating the controversial fund and ordered the government to submit declarations under penalty of perjury by Friday verifying that it would not revive the initiative under any name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brinkema, who had <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4586947\/federal-judge-blocks-doj-anti-weaponization-fund\/\">initially blocked the plan three weeks ago<\/a>, indicated that such declarations could lead to dismissal of the lawsuit challenging the fund. If the declarations were not filed, she said the case would proceed and that the government would be required to file a responsive pleading by July 17.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A DOJ spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>the department has already stated twice in court filings and congressional testimony that the plan is not moving ahead.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn essence, the judge\u2019s demand for declarations was an attempt to require her to personally sign-off on any and all future settlements, separate and apart from the Fund, that the department may make. Judges do not get to insert themselves into the department\u2019s routine settlement authority,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The anti-weaponization fund was unveiled by the DOJ in May as part of a broader settlement arrangement involving Trump\u2019s agreement to settle <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4572410\/trump-moves-drop-irs-lawsuit-doj-weaponization-victims-fund\/\">his lawsuit against the IRS<\/a> related to the leak of his tax returns. The proposal would have directed money from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/treasury-department\/\">Treasury Department<\/a>\u2019s Judgment Fund to compensate people who claimed they were improperly targeted by federal investigations during the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plan sparked immediate criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who raised concerns that taxpayer money could ultimately be used to compensate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/january-6\/\">Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants<\/a> and other people aligned with Trump. Despite promises from the administration that anyone could apply to be eligible for the fund, multiple lawsuits quickly followed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration has since repeatedly disavowed the proposal. During a House Appropriations Committee hearing last month, Blanche testified that the fund was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4592077\/blanche-weaponization-fund-dead-for-good\/\">\u201cnot going forward, period,\u201d<\/a> a statement DOJ attorneys highlighted again in Friday\u2019s filing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Government lawyers argued that courts routinely rely on representations made by senior officials and attorneys without requiring sworn declarations from Cabinet-level officials. They pointed to a separate lawsuit in the District of Columbia, where a federal judge recently credited the administration\u2019s statements that the fund would not move forward when denying emergency relief.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DOJ further contended that requiring declarations from Blanche, Woodward, and Bessent would amount to compelled testimony from high-ranking executive officials, citing a series of appellate decisions warning against judicial demands that could interfere with executive branch functions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAccordingly, the Court\u2019s demands are unnecessary,\u201d the department wrote. \u201cAs stated multiple times, the Fund is not moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brinkema, however, expressed skepticism during last week\u2019s hearing that the controversy had been fully resolved. The judge pointed to Trump\u2019s recent public comments criticizing her decision to temporarily halt the fund and suggesting he was disappointed it was not advancing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4606444\/federal-judge-todd-blanche-swear-anti-weaponization-fund-not-revived\/\">FEDERAL JUDGE WANTS TODD BLANCHE TO SWEAR IN WRITING ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND WON\u2019T BE REVIVED<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen the president of the United States says he\u2019s disappointed that something is not going forward,\u201d Brinkema said at the hearing, that could indicate the proposal may \u201crear its head\u201d again in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But given Brinkema\u2019s insistence last week on obtaining a sworn declaration, it is likely she may prolong the litigation in an effort to obtain clarity that the fund is indeed not planned to move forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ declines to provide sworn statement on Trump fund<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2616412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/doj-eeoc-disparate-impact.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[63030,36513,33600,81451],"class_list":["post-2616411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-anti-weaponization","tag-federal-funding","tag-justice-department","tag-legal-declaration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/doj-eeoc-disparate-impact.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2616411"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2616419,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2616411\/revisions\/2616419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2616412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2616411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2616411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2616411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}