DOJ Rebuffs Request on Anti-Weaponization Fund
DOJ anti-weaponization fund legal challenge
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally declined to provide a sworn, written declaration requested by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema regarding the administration’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. In a court filing submitted to the federal district court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday, June 19, 2026, the DOJ rebuffed the judge’s demand that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent verify under penalty of perjury that the fund would not proceed in any manner or under any guise.
Government lawyers, led by senior counsel Andrew Block, argued that the judicial requirement for a signed declaration constitutes “compelled testimony” of senior Executive Branch officials, which they contend violates constitutional separation of powers principles.
The DOJ maintained that the court’s demand is unnecessary, citing that Acting Attorney General Blanche has already provided testimony before Congress—and the DOJ has stated in multiple formal court filings—that the administration is not moving forward with the program. Judge Brinkema had previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking the fund and cautioned that if the requested declarations were not filed within one week, the lawsuit brought by a coalition including Democracy Forward would proceed toward trial.
By refusing the order, the DOJ effectively ensures that the legal challenge will continue. The “anti-weaponization” fund was originally established as part of a settlement to resolve a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Trump against the IRS concerning the leak of his tax returns, though it faced intense bipartisan scrutiny over fears it could serve as a fund to compensate individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
