A bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges has filed a lawsuit aiming to block former President Donald Trump's creation of a $1.776 billion fund, which critics have dubbed an "anti-weaponization" slush fund. The legal action, submitted Wednesday in the Southern District of Florida, seeks to reopen Trump's settled lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of his tax information.
Lawsuit Alleges Fraud on the Court
The former judges argue that the settlement reached earlier this month is a "product of collusion and is itself a fraud on the Court." They urge Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, to reconsider her May 18 approval of the deal. Reopening the case would allow an inquiry into whether the court was deceived regarding the existence of a genuine controversy or any arms-length negotiations.
The settlement, which Trump secured after initially seeking $10 billion in damages, allows him to establish a fund that could funnel taxpayer money to his political allies, including those convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump later pardoned many of those individuals after returning to the White House.
Criticism from Both Sides of the Aisle
Opposition to the fund has been mounting. Retired Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges, both injured during the January 6 insurrection, filed a separate lawsuit last week in Washington, D.C., calling the fund "the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century." They argue it encourages further violence by financing insurrectionists and paramilitary groups.
Even within Trump's Republican Party, there is dissent. Senior Senate figures have expressed concern that money could go to convicted felons, and the chamber recently delayed a $72 billion immigration enforcement bill backed by Trump. An Economist/YouGov poll this week found that 52% of Republicans and 45% of Trump's hardline MAGA supporters oppose the fund.
Justice Department Defends the Fund
The Justice Department and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche have defended the settlement, stating that "the machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American." Blanche claimed applications for payouts would be open to anyone who felt they were subject to politically motivated prosecution. However, on his Truth Social platform, Trump indicated the payouts are intended for those "so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden administration."
Among the first to express interest is Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, who was pardoned by Trump after serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy. Tarrio told PBS News he believes he is entitled to "somewhere in the mid-tens of millions" from the fund. The Justice Department recently moved to overturn the seditious conspiracy convictions of other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders involved in the Capitol attack.
