Trump 'anti-weaponisation' fund indefinitely blocked as judge wants guarantee it's abandoned

Trump 'anti-weaponisation' fund indefinitely blocked as judge wants guarantee it's abandoned2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGetty ImagesA US judge has continued to block a $1.8 bn (£1.3bn) "anti-weaponisation" fund proposed by President Donald Trump last month. In the Friday ruling, Judge Leonie Brinkema gave the Trump administration one week to confirm via sworn statement that the fund will not proceed. That decision comes after Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers earlier this month that the administration would abandon plans to create the fund.The proposed "anti-weaponisation" fund was announced to settle a lawsuit by Trump against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. It drew strong criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over who it may benefit.Last week, Brinkema issued a temporary halt to the fund, which was set to expire on Friday. While in court on Friday, she repeatedly said that Blanche's recent congressional testimony that the DoJ fund was not proceeding was not enough of a guarantee that the fund is no more. That is why she requested written confirmation from Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to MS NOW. When DoJ officials announced the fund last month, they said it would have a total of $1.776bn available to settle and pay cases. They said the "anti-weaponisation fund" would be governed by a five-member commission that can vet and pay claims to those who showed they were victims of "lawfare" and "weaponisation". There was immediate concern from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that people prosecuted over the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021, including those convicted of assaulting police officers, could receive payment from the justice department. After that outrage, Blanche went to Capitol Hill and told lawmakers, "We're not moving forward with the fund, period".The request to stop the fund...