Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Announces $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund Will Not Move Forward

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress on Tuesday that the Justice Department is permanently abandoning its plan to set up a $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund. The fund had been established as part of a settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit against the IRS.

The Washington Times reported that Blanche informed Congress the department is "permanently abandoning" the plan. According to Deadline, the fund appears to be dead after lawmakers from both parties criticized the idea.

While the Anti-Weaponization Fund will not proceed, certain provisions from the settlement will remain in place. Blanche stated that the IRS will still be prohibited from auditing Donald Trump, his family, and related entities, according to The Guardian. Al Jazeera confirmed that the Justice Department plans to keep a settlement provision to bar audits of Trump's past tax records.

The $1.8 billion fund had been established as part of a broader settlement agreement stemming from Trump's lawsuit against the IRS. The specific purpose and mechanisms of the proposed fund were not detailed in the available reports.

Blanche's announcement to Congress marks a significant development regarding the settlement terms. The decision to abandon the fund while maintaining audit protections for Trump and his family represents a modification of the original settlement framework.

The Anti-Weaponization Fund had drawn criticism from legislators across the political spectrum before Blanche's announcement that the plan would not move forward. The current status of the broader settlement agreement, beyond the audit provision, was not specified in the reports.