A federal judge in Washington, D.C., rejected a request to place a temporary halt on the Trump administration’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was established to compensate those targeted by efforts to use the government against political opponents.
The fund was established as part of an agreement in which President Donald Trump agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his personal tax returns. The fund met with legal challenges shortly after it was announced.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled on Wednesday that a lawsuit filed by watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics appeared to be moot. The organization had already sought a temporary restraining order to stop the fund from paying out.
NEW: A federal judge in D.C. denies request to temporarily stop Trump's $1.8B weaponization fund
— Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (@DanRosZiff) June 10, 2026
Judge Richard Leon also issued a warning to DOJ: "Don't play possum with this court."
Ruling does not affect separate order from judge in Va. temporarily halting fund thru Friday.
The judge noted that the Justice Department recently indicated it is not moving forward with the fund, Politico reported.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress earlier this month that the administration has decided against proceeding with the fund. “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” he said during a House hearing. When asked whether that meant a permanent halt to the program, Blanche replied, “Correct.”
The judge asked a senior Justice Department lawyer why the administration had not formally revoked the May 18 order that set up the fund. The attorney said he did not know the reason.
While Leon denied the restraining order, he cautioned that he was still monitoring the situation and suggested he might take action if the administration decides to revive the fund. “I give the Justice Department this warning: Don’t play possum with me,” he said.
BREAKING: Judge Leon has DENIED a bid to immediately block the "anti-weaponization" fund.
— Fallon Gallagher (@falgallagher) June 10, 2026
He was "not persuaded" there was a live controversy, citing DOJ's repeated statements - in public and in court - that they are not moving forward with the fund.
He left them with a stern…
The judge said he would still consider the watchdog group’s request for a preliminary injunction that would provide relief if the administration did try to restart the fund.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics insisted that the fund still remained legally in effect and that Blanche’s statements are not the same as a cancellation of the fund. They warned that the way the fund is structured could allow the administration to move money from the Treasury Department’s judgment fund without oversight.
The fund elicited an outcry from the left and some on the right who argued that it could be used to pay people who were involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building. They contended that the president would use this to reward his allies and not those who have been wronged by the government.
Supporters pointed out that long line of abuses against opponents of the Biden administration and insisted they deserve compensation.