DOJ cancels $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund after bipartisan backlash
On June 2, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a House subcommittee that DOJ was 'not moving forward' with a $1.776 billion fund created May 19, 2026, via a settlement of Trump v. IRS. The reversal followed bipartisan backlash over a fund critics called a 'slush fund' lacking congressional authorization and oversight, authorized via settlement rather than statute.
The fund was not a congressional safeguard for DOJ independence. It was the opposite: a Trump DOJ creation, announced by Todd Blanche on May 19, 2026, as part of a settlement of President Trump's personal lawsuit against the IRS. The $1.776 billion pool was designed to compensate individuals who alleged they were victims of government 'weaponization' — a definition critics warned could be stretched to reward Trump loyalists. For democracy defenders, this is a warning: the fund's improvised creation — settled out of a president's private lawsuit, using DOJ authority, bypassing appropriation — shows what happens when norms of independence erode. According to NBC News and PBS NewsHour, Blanche testified at the June 2 hearing that the fund was being dropped. The PBS transcript notes he was not under oath, but making false statements to Congress is a crime. The reversal followed bipartisan condemnation: lawmakers on both sides called it an 'outrageous, unprecedented slush fund' (as Rep. Jamie Raskin said, per NBC) and demanded justification. The solution: legislation to bar DOJ from settling personal claims of any president without express congressional approval, and to require any fund that redistributes taxpayer money to victims of government action to be authorized by statute, with appropriated funds and IG oversight. The current 'fix' — a press release reversing the policy — can be undone by the next acting AG on a Friday afternoon.
The humanitarian alternative
Instead of elevating an acting AG who has already demonstrated partisan loyalty over legal independence, the Senate should demand a nominee with a proven record of insulating DOJ from political pressure. The alternative is a transparent, career-led appointment process that respects the 1978 Ethics in Government Act and the Justice Department's tradition of declining to comment on sitting presidents' personal legal matters. Congress could also recommit to funding DOJ's independent oversight mechanisms — including the revamped anti-weaponization fund — to guard against future political interference.
Falsifiable predictions
What this entry claims will happen, and what data would prove it wrong. The Reckoner revisits these against current reality.
- Blanche will face a confirmation vote within 60 days and will be confirmed along party lines with no more than two Republican defections.
- If confirmed, Blanche's DOJ will further reduce enforcement of federal civil rights and public integrity laws, leading to a measurable drop in such case filings within one year.
Grounded in
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Original source — excerpted
news Todd Blanche tells Post he’s ‘honored’ to be nominated as ‘permanent’ AG, pledges to work across aisle"See more of our coverage in your search results. COLUMBUS — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told The Post in an interview Thursday that he’s “honore..."