ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) 鈥� A federal judge agreed on Friday to extend a court-ordered block on the Trump administration’s creation and operation of for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government.
Earlier this month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that the government is scrapping its plans for the fund in the face of a fierce bipartisan backlash. Government attorneys have argued that lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, but plaintiffs鈥� attorneys aren鈥檛 satisfied by Blanche鈥檚 assurances that the fund won鈥檛 move forward.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has not publicly and unequivocally endorsed its cancellation.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the government’s 鈥淎nti-Weaponization Fund” will remain blocked until further notice from the court. She gave the parties a week to negotiate an agreement for Blanche to submit a sworn declaration that the administration won’t revive the fund.
Brinkema previously agreed to temporarily block the administration from proceeding with the fund for at least two weeks. Her May 29 order was due to expire on Friday.
Trump’s Republican administration created the fund to resolve his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.
Plaintiffs who sued to block fund payouts argue that the government can鈥檛 legally divert taxpayer money into what they argue is a slush fund for compensating Trump鈥檚 allies.
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