US Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis ordered the Trump administration to disclose who created the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund, which was established as part of a settlement agreement with the IRS but is now said to be "dead". The order grants part of a motion from plaintiffs seeking discovery and requires the government to reveal the names of the fund's architects. The judge's decision comes in a lawsuit filed by a fired Jan. 6 prosecutor, a law professor, and career IRS workers who joined the suit against the Trump-IRS agreement. The total amount set aside for the fund is nearly $1.8 billion.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 4574: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-05
A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to identify the people who came up with the structure for the nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that Attorney General Todd Blanche has said is now “dead.”
asserted
Blanche → order → fund
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia issued an order that granted part of a motion from plaintiffs to compel discovery from the federal government, a person who was in the courtroom when the order was issued confirmed to NBC News.
asserted
order → issue → News
The order includes disclosing the names of the fund’s architects, the person said.
asserted
person → include → architects
The New York Times reported on the details of the judge’s order.
asserted
Times → report → order
“Today’s order granting discovery is a significant step in getting to the bottom of the slush fund,” Aman George, senior counsel at Democracy Forward, a nonprofit organization representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
asserted
George → grant → statement
“We will continue to meet the government in court until our investigation is complete and the slush fund is permanently halted.”
asserted
fund → continue → court
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening.
asserted
Department → respond → comment
The fund — established as part of a settlement agreement between President Donald Trump, two of his sons and his company, and the Internal Revenue Service — aimed to set aside roughly $1.8 billion in taxpayer money as payouts for those who “suffered weaponization and lawfare” — a provision that could extend to Jan. 6 rioters convicted, and later pardoned by Trump, for violent crimes.
uncertain
that → establish → crimes
It was temporarily blocked in May by a federal judge following a lawsuit filed by a fired Jan. 6 prosecutor and a law professor who had been sued by the Trump administration.
uncertain
who → block → administration
Career IRS workers also joined the lawsuit against the Trump-IRS agreement, which made the president and several family members immune from IRS audits.
asserted
president → join → audits
The “anti-weaponization” fund drew bipartisan criticism in Washington, putting Blanche’s nomination as attorney general in jeopardy.
asserted
fund → draw → jeopardy
He later put in writing that the fund “is rescinded” and that “there is no fund.”
asserted
fund → put → writing
But in a major legal loophole, the document signed by Blanche did not include the signatories of the initial agreement, meaning the fund and related IRS immunity could be revived at a later date.
uncertain
fund → sign → date
That loophole has lingered as Trump has refused to denounce the fund.
asserted
Trump → linger → fund
At a Cabinet meeting this summer, Trump, who has not ruled out giving payouts to Jan. 6 rioters, said that the fund “is dead, but you know, I wish it weren’t,” and reiterated that he thinks “people were horribly treated.”
asserted
people → rule → rioters
This week, Treniss Evans III, a Jan. 6 defendant who is seeking a $1 million payout from the government, posted a photo of himself in Blanche’s office, though a person familiar with the matter said that Evans did not meet with the attorney general.
asserted
Evans → seek → general
Evans was previously sentenced to 20 days in prison and three years probation due to his participation in storming the Capitol.
asserted
Evans → sentence → Capitol
