The Justice Department has created a $1.776 billion fund for people who allege they were victims of federal government “lawfare” as part of a settlement agreement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
The Anti-Weaponization Fund creates a formal process for Americans alleging they were targeted through politically motivated actions by the Justice Department under previous administrations. The program is set to expire a month before the end of Trump’s second term.
The fund was created as part of an agreement for Trump and his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., to drop the $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS they filed in January.
“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,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”
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Trump and his sons are ineligible to receive compensation from the fund but will receive a formal apology, according to the Justice Department.
Trump also agreed to withdraw two additional claims for damages, one stemming from the “unlawful” FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago and the other related to the “Russia-collusion hoax,” in which Obama officials are accused of manipulating intelligence reports on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
The Justice Department is investigating former CIA Director John Brennan based on allegations that he lied to Congress about the resources the CIA used to craft its intelligence report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The fund will have the authority to issue formal apologies and financial compensation to claimants. Funding will come from a permanent congressional appropriation that allows the Justice Department to settle cases. Participation will be voluntary, and there will be no partisan or political requirement to file a claim.
Critics, however, argue the program could allow the administration to compensate Trump allies and supporters who claim they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted.
Former FBI Director James Comey — who was charged by the Justice Department after posting an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell “86-47,” which officials interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump — slammed the creation of the fund.
“It just can’t be the way we operate,” Comey said in an interview with ABC News. “We can’t set up a multi-million-dollar ATM at Mar-a-Lago for people who’ve committed crimes. It just isn’t the way we are. It’s not consistent with our values. Eventually, the Department of Justice will right itself, but we’re gonna have to ride out a hard two years.”
A five-member commission appointed by the U.S. attorney general will oversee the fund. One commissioner will be selected in consultation with congressional leadership. The president will retain authority to remove commissioners, though replacements must be selected through the same process used for the departing member.
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The fund is expected to end on Dec. 15, 2028, and any money remaining after the fund ceases operations will return to the federal government.
The Justice Department pointed to the Obama administration’s creation of “Keepseagle,” a $760 million fund created to compensate people alleging they were victims of racism by the federal government, as the legal precedent for this new fund.
However, the Justice Department stated that $300 million of what remained from the fund was distributed to nonprofits and organizations that never filed claims.
Safeguards will be implemented to protect private information and prevent fraud, including the fund issuing quarterly reports to the attorney general detailing who received relief and what type of relief was granted, according to the Justice Department.
The White House referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department for comment.
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