Members of Congress in Washington, D.C., are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s new fund for victims of political “weaponization,” many arguing it sets a dangerous precedent.
Earlier this week, Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service for leaking his tax returns was settled under the agreement that the agency can never audit past tax returns for him, his companies or his relatives. This also includes pending tax returns.
The settlement also requires the Justice Department to create a $1.8 billion "Judgment Fund" comprised of taxpayer dollars to compensate those who feel they were wrongly mistreated by the Biden administration.
Shortly after the settlement, Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) introduced the Stop Taxpayer-funded Reimbursement for Unlawful Misconduct by Presidents Act, or the STOP TRUMP Act, to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding settlements, payouts, or compensation tied to Trump, his allies, or January 6 participants through claims of “government weaponization.”
“Working families are struggling to afford groceries, gas, rent, and healthcare — the last thing taxpayers should be forced to do is bankroll political revenge tours and payouts for Donald Trump and his cronies,” Rep. Crockett said.
Rep. Crockett, along with several other Democrats and Republicans, is calling this a “personal slush fund” meant for those who participated in the January 6 insurrection.
In a letter to the Justice Department issued yesterday, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said the creation of this fund without congressional oversight is deeply concerning.
“A massive discretionary fund, with no oversight or approval from Congress, represents a dangerous backsliding in the transparency of our institutions and our commitment to the American taxpayer,” Rep. Fitzpatrick wrote.
At a hearing on Tuesday, Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal attorney until 2025, faced intense questioning from lawmakers on both sides about the fund.
According to Blanche, a five-person commission will determine who is eligible for the fund. Four of these commissioners will be chosen by the attorney general.
"The commission can do anything according to what was set up yesterday, from issuing an apology to the claimant to awarding monetary compensation," Blanche said at the hearing.
In his letter, Rep. Fitzpatrick said he is demanding specific answers on where these funds, its “exact legal purpose” and examples of past administrations creating similar funds by June 1, 2026.
