Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania is pressing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for answers on the Justice Department's new $1.78 billion anti-weaponization fund, a pot of money created as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the IRS over leaked tax returns. Fitzpatrick told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday that he sent a letter to Blanche with basic questions about the fund's origins and legality.
"So I sent a letter to Mr. Blanche today posing some very basic questions. He's got a June 1st deadline to get me the answers. Where is this money coming from?" Fitzpatrick said, emphasizing that the funds were appropriated by Congress. "Obviously, it was appropriated to DOJ as part of an appropriations bill. We want to know what account that money currently resides in? Where is he pulling it from? What authority do they have to do this?"
The fund stems from a settlement that ended Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, which had leaked his tax returns. In exchange for dropping the suit, the IRS is barred from auditing Trump's old returns, and the DOJ set up the anti-weaponization fund to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. Neither Trump nor his sons will receive a payout, but they will get a formal apology.
The Treasury Department plans to draw the $1.776 billion from the judgment fund, a permanent appropriation used to settle claims against the government. However, a one-pager from Blanche's office notes that the government has no liability for protecting the funds once they are transferred, even in cases of bank failure or fraud. Officials can also use the money for administrative costs, staff, and travel to support the fund's mission.
Fitzpatrick has already pledged to block the fund, calling it an overreach. "This is not a unilateral executive decision," he said, promising to bring the issue to the House floor for debate and a vote. "If you're dealing with appropriated money, that's got to come through us."
Bipartisan Pushback
Democrats and some Republicans have criticized the fund as a misuse of taxpayer dollars. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced legislation to kill it, calling it a "slush fund" for Trump allies, including those involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. "Trump is trying to commandeer nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds to bankroll a slush fund for January 6 cop-beaters and aggrieved MAGA foot soldiers," Raskin said in a statement. "Only Congress has the power to appropriate federal dollars, and we didn't appropriate a cent for the J6 millionaire trust fund."
Raskin's bill, the No Taxpayer-Funded Settlement Slush Funds Act, aims to restore congressional control over spending. The controversy has also sparked a lawsuit from January 6 officers who argue the fund improperly compensates those who attacked them.
Blanche Under Fire
Acting AG Blanche has faced scrutiny over the fund's scope, which is open to Trump donors and even those convicted of assaulting police during the Capitol riot. Blanche has defended the fund, but questions remain about its implementation. Fitzpatrick's letter demands answers by June 1, and the Pennsylvania Republican is prepared to escalate the fight if the DOJ does not comply.
