DOJ refused judge's order to confirm termination of $1.8B 'anti-weaponization fund'

Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema issued an order on June 12, 2026, indefinitely blocking the Trump administration's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" — a fund created specifically to settle Trump's personal lawsuit against the IRS. On June 19, when Judge Brinkema ordered the Department of Justice to submit a sworn declaration confirming the fund's permanent termination within one week, the DOJ refused to comply. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's office characterized the judicial requirement as "unnecessary" and raised objections about "separation of powers concerns."

The Trump administration established the "anti-weaponization fund" purportedly to compensate individuals claiming wrongful targeting by previous administrations. In reality, the fund operates as a mechanism for the Justice Department to process claims benefiting Trump's stated political objectives, using $1.776 billion in federal resources. The fund represents a weaponization of DOJ — the use of Department resources to settle the President's personal legal grievances.

Judge Brinkema's block and subsequent demand for compliance reflect judicial concern about the impropriety of the fund's purpose and use. The DOJ's refusal to confirm termination when ordered by a federal court exemplifies explicit defiance of judicial authority — a violation of the rule of law and the separation of powers. The Department's invocation of "separation of powers concerns" to avoid complying with a lawful court order inverts the doctrine; separation of powers requires the executive to obey judicial orders within the scope of the court's authority.