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- Department of Justice has announced the establishment of a $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," a new initiative designed to provide a process for Americans to seek redress for claims...
- The settlement follows a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr.
- Under the terms of the agreement, the plaintiffs will receive a formal apology from the Department of Justice.
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the establishment of a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a new initiative designed to provide a process for Americans to seek redress for claims of government weaponization and lawfare. The creation of the fund is a central component of a settlement agreement in the lawsuit President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service.
The settlement follows a $10 billion lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. And Eric Trump and the Trump Organization, LLC, against the Treasury and the IRS. The legal action was initiated following the leak of the plaintiffs’ tax returns.
Settlement Terms and Claims Withdrawn
Under the terms of the agreement, the plaintiffs will receive a formal apology from the Department of Justice. However, the settlement dictates that the plaintiffs will receive no monetary payment or damages of any kind.
In exchange for the establishment of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, the plaintiffs have agreed to drop their pending lawsuit against the IRS. They have agreed to withdraw two administrative claims totaling $230 million. These claims were related to the 2022 search of the Mar-a-Lago estate and the investigation into alleged Russian collusion during the president’s first term in office.
According to the settlement terms, President Trump himself is not eligible to receive any money from the newly created compensation fund.
Fund Governance and Funding Source
The Anti-Weaponization Fund will be overseen by a five-member commission. The Attorney General will appoint the members of this commission, with one member being selected in consultation with congressional leadership. The commission is granted the authority to issue formal apologies and provide monetary relief to claimants who successfully seek redress through the process.
The $1.776 billion required to fund the initiative will be provided by the federal Judgment Fund. This is a permanent Treasury appropriation used to pay for certain legal settlements and judgments issued against the federal government.
The Department of Justice stated that the submission of a claim to the fund is voluntary. The process is intended to serve as a systematic way to hear claims from individuals who allege they were unfairly targeted by government machinery for improper political, personal, or ideological reasons.
Legal Background and Judicial Ruling
The original lawsuit against the IRS was prompted by the unauthorized release of tax information. In 2023, a government contractor pleaded guilty to stealing the tax information of Donald Trump and several other wealthy Americans, subsequently leaking the data to media outlets in 2019 and 2020.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who was presiding over the case in the Southern District of Florida, ordered the case closed following the announcement of the settlement. In a brief order issued on May 19, 2026, Judge Williams noted that she was stripped of jurisdiction
to continue overseeing the matter.
The judge further noted that the settlement agreement had not been docketed in the case, meaning there was no settlement of record
available for the court to adjudicate the private agreement.
Official Department of Justice Statements
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that the department intends to prevent the misuse of government power in the future.
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.
As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter also commented on the department’s stance regarding the use of federal authority.
The use of government power to target individuals or entities for improper and unlawful political, personal, or ideological reasons should not be tolerated by any Administration.