Who's eligible for the 'Anti-Weaponisation Fund'? Trump's critics think they might be

Who's eligible for the 'Anti-Weaponisation Fund'? Trump's critics think they might be21 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKayla EpsteinNBC via Getty ImagesWhen Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a $1.8bn fund that would make payouts to victims of government "weaponisation", Michael Cohen is probably not who he had in mind.The former Donald Trump fixer who flipped against his old boss in two high profile trials announced that he will seek compensation from the fund, which the Justice Department announced as part of its settlement agreement with Donald Trump over a leak of his tax returns."After years of being smeared, surveilled, financially exposed, imprisoned, and silenced, I will file a claim asking whether America's justice system became America's political weapon," Cohen posted on X.As the political fallout from the settlement continues, high-profile Trump critics indicated they too could seek compensation for what they viewed as unjust legal persecution.Their announcements highlighted the opaque nature of the arrangement, which has led everyone from a former FBI director to a Trumpworld attorney to claim they could receive money.Eligibility for the fund, on its face, seems extremely broad. In a memo sent to sceptical Republican US senators, Blanche justified the $1.8bn sum because "literally tens of millions of Americans were subjected to improper and unlawful government targeting". The memo also notes that "there is no partisan restriction; Democrats can submit claims, too."Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, bank fraud, and other offenses in 2018, has used his social media platforms to criticise Trump and wrote a book about his relationship with the president.He was released from prison early in 2020 due to Covid-19 concerns, but was later sent back. A federal judge ordered his release, after finding the govern...