Democrat battle over Anti-Weaponization fund

Newsom Pushes 100% Tax On Trump DOJ Payouts As Political Battle Over “Weaponization” Fund Escalates

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly escalating his latest clash with President Donald Trump by pledging to pursue a 100% tax on any payments Californians receive from the administration’s newly created “anti-weaponization” fund, a controversial program already fueling sharp partisan battles nationwide.

Newsom made the remarks Wednesday while criticizing the Department of Justice initiative, which was established earlier this month after Trump agreed to drop a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service tied to the leaking of his tax returns during his first term in office.

“Anyone from California that receives any of those funds, we wanna tax 100% of those proceeds,” Newsom said. “And that’s an action the state of California can take. It’s an action we look forward to taking.”

In a social media post accompanying video of his comments, the Democratic governor described the fund as a “slush fund,” further intensifying the already bitter rhetoric surrounding the unprecedented program.

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Judge Brinkema Blocks DOJ Anti Weaponization Fund

Judge Brinkema Blocks Trump DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund Payouts

A federal judge has put a temporary stop on the Trump Justice Department’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund, at least for now. That means anyone hoping to get money from the program will have to wait while the court sorts it out.

The ruling came Friday from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who said the government cannot move forward until after a hearing.

The order blocks the DOJ “from taking any further action pursuant to the creation or operation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which includes the transferring of money to the Fund; the consideration of any claims submitted to the Fund; and the disbursing of any funds from the Fund.”

A hearing is now set for June 12 in Alexandria, Virginia.

The case was brought by a group of plaintiffs that includes former career prosecutor Andrew Floyd, who says he was fired over his work on Jan. 6 cases. Other plaintiffs include California State University Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, the watchdog group Common Cause, the city of New Haven, Connecticut, and the National Abortion Federation.

Judge Brinkema was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton. Her order keeps the fund on ice while the court reviews the challenge.

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Anti-Weaponization Fund established for benefit of Americans

Trump settles $10 billion IRS lawsuit, secures apology and $1.776 billion fund for Americans targeted by government

President Trump dismissed his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS on Monday in exchange for a formal government apology and the creation of a $1.776 billion compensation fund open to any American who believes federal agencies were turned against them for political reasons, including, remarkably, Hunter Biden.

The settlement, reported by the New York Post, resolves a case Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization filed on January 29 after the government failed to protect their confidential tax returns from being leaked to the New York Times in 2019.

In its place now stands the Justice Department Anti-Weaponization Fund, a board-governed mechanism designed to hear claims, issue apologies, and distribute monetary relief to people who were unfairly targeted by any administration.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the fund's formation Monday with a statement that left little ambiguity about the settlement's purpose.

"The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department's intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again."

Trump and his family receive no compensation from the fund. They get the apology. Everyone else, from January 6 defendants to political targets of prior administrations, gets a place in line.

The deal is not cost-free for the president. Monday's settlement requires Trump to withdraw claims related to the FBI's August 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago and the FBI investigation into alleged collusion between his 2016 campaign and the Russian government. Those are two of the most politically significant episodes of his first term, and they are now off the table as legal claims.

A spokesman for Trump's legal team framed the trade-off in characteristically forward-looking terms.

"President Trump is entering into this settlement squarely for the benefit of the American people, and he will continue his fight to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable."

"The point of this isn't to make every January 6-er a millionaire. The point is to compensate, and to give entitled people back some of their dignity and some of what they lost, including money, whether it's for legal fees or other costs associated with what they went through."

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