ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — A lawsuit challenging the Department of Justice's creation of a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization" fund will proceed, following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema. Brinkema cited the Department of Justice's refusal to confirm in writing that the fund is defunct as the basis for allowing the lawsuit to proceed.

Brinkema stated that a short, written declaration under the penalty of perjury from the Department of Justice that the fund was defunct would have been sufficient to dismiss the suit as moot. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo on May 18 that established the structure of the fund, and he has not rescinded the memo.

On June 2, Blanche testified before a House committee that the fund is not going forward. However, Brinkema noted that President Donald Trump and Blanche have expressed continued interest in compensating purported victims of Department of Justice overreach.

Brinkema wrote that the defendants' refusal to accord a genuine degree of trustworthiness to their representations about the Fund not going forward is particularly concerning because of the President's consistent support for the Fund and Blanche's acknowledgement that the Fund remains "important." She noted that when Blanche was asked during his testimony whether he would issue a new memo in writing rescinding the May 18 memo, he replied, "I'm not committing to putting anything in writing. And I said it over and over again."

Why It Matters

This ruling allows a legal challenge against the Department of Justice's "Anti-Weaponization" fund to continue. The court's decision centers on a lack of formal written assurance from the Department of Justice regarding the fund's status, despite verbal statements in congressional testimony. The lawsuit proceeds as high-ranking officials discuss compensating individuals identified as victims of government overreach, and the fund's $1.8 billion allocation remains officially unrescinded.