What’s Trump’s ‘anti-weaponisation fund’ and why are legal experts alarmed?
Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice created an “anti-weaponisation fund” to pay people who say the federal government unfairly targeted them. The fund is part of a settlement from a lawsuit President Donald Trump filed against the IRS after a leak of his tax information.Key Facts
- The fund was announced following a settlement from Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury.
- Trump’s tax returns were leaked between 2018 and 2020 and published by The New York Times.
- A former IRS contractor, Charles Edward Littlejohn, pleaded guilty to leaking the returns and was sentenced to five years in prison.
- The "anti-weaponisation fund" will have nearly $1.8 billion from a government account used for legal settlements.
- People who believe they were unfairly targeted by the government can file claims to receive money or other compensation.
- A five-person panel appointed by the attorney general will manage the fund, with one member chosen with congressional input.
- The fund will operate until December 1, 2028, when it will stop accepting new claims.
- Some Democrats and legal experts oppose the fund, worried it might be used to pay supporters involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
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