A federal judge has ordered the Department of Justice to reveal the identities of those who designed a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, which was intended to compensate individuals targeted in federal investigations during the Biden administration. The ruling, made by U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis, is part of a lawsuit challenging the fund's legitimacy. The plaintiffs had sought information on those involved in conceiving and carrying out the fund, but the judge narrowed their request, ruling that only those who designed the fund need to be identified. The DOJ must now disclose this information as part of the discovery process in the case.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 4467 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-05
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Department of Justice to reveal the masterminds behind the now-dead $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund intended to compensate people who claim the federal government improperly targeted them in investigations.
uncertain
government → order → investigations
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis ruled that the DOJ must turn over the names as part of a lawsuit challenging the fund, which Attorney General Todd Blanche has since said is canceled.
asserted
Blanche → rule → fund
“Who came up with it?
asserted
Who → come → it
That’s what conception means,” Davis said during a hearing in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, according to the Washington Post.
uncertain
Davis → ’ → Post
The ruling is narrower than what the plaintiffs had requested.
asserted
plaintiffs → request → what
Plaintiffs sought information identifying people involved in conceiving, creating, and carrying out the fund.
asserted
Plaintiffs → seek → fund
Davis said such a sweeping request began to resemble a “fishing expedition,” but determined the identities of those who designed the fund were relevant to the case.
asserted
who → say → case
The fund was announced by the DOJ in May as part of an agreement settling President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax records.
uncertain
fund → announce → records
The proposal would have directed money from the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund to compensate people who claimed they were politically targeted by federal investigations during the Biden administration.
asserted
they → direct → administration
The proposal quickly drew bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, particularly over the possibility that people prosecuted for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot could receive payouts.
uncertain
people → draw → payouts
Trump and Blanche said the administration would no longer move forward with the fund, as it caused a kerfuffle with GOP senators, posing a threat to Blanche’s attorney general nomination.
asserted
it → say → nomination
But lawsuits challenging the proposal have continued.
asserted
lawsuits → challenge → proposal
The Virginia case has reached discovery, allowing the challengers to seek documents and information about how the program was developed.
asserted
program → reach → documents
The plaintiffs include former federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd, who worked on Jan. 6 cases before being fired by the Trump administration.
asserted
who → include → administration
Davis’s Friday ruling means the government must now disclose who devised the fund’s structure, but the information will not necessarily be made available to the public.
asserted
information → mean → public
Davis directed the parties to treat discovery materials as protected from public disclosure while the litigation continues.
asserted
litigation → direct → disclosure
