{"id":835,"date":"2026-05-19T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=835"},"modified":"2026-05-19T15:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:38:59","slug":"blanche-faces-capitol-hill-grilling-on-1-8b-anti-weaponization-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=835","title":{"rendered":"Blanche faces Capitol Hill grilling on $1.8B \u2018anti-weaponization\u2019 fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

The acting attorney general pledged \u2018full transparency\u2019 Tuesday on who will receive payments from the unprecedented deal.<\/strong><\/p>

Read more Scottie Scheffler returns for title defense at Byron Nelson. European tour goes to Belgium<\/a><\/p>\n

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Acting attorney general Todd Blanche testifies on Capitol Hill on May 19. (Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Acting attorney general Todd Blanche said Tuesday he intends to make public details of payments issued through the Trump administration\u2019s unusual $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund designed to compensate people who claim they\u2019ve been unfairly targeted through a politicized justice system.<\/p>\n

The pledge came as Blanche testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of the Justice Department\u2019s $41.2 billion 2027 budget request.<\/p>\n

But Democrats quickly sought to focus the hearing on the separate taxpayer-funded pot of money<\/a> announced Monday, which they described as an \u201coutrageous, unprecedented slush fund\u201d designed to award Trump\u2019s supporters, including those involved in violent incidents during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.<\/p>\n

The \u201canti-weaponization fund\u201d is the central plank of a broader settlement agreement to resolve three pending claims President Donald Trump had filed in his personal capacity against the government he leads.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the agreement \u2014 which was not approved by a federal court \u2014 awards would be decided by a five-member commission, largely appointed by the attorney general. There is no requirement in the deal that the commission publicly report how the money is disbursed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be full transparency,\u201d Blanche told senators on Tuesday. He added: \u201cThere\u2019s privacy laws that exist, so I don\u2019t want to sit here today and say every scintilla of data will be released. \u2026 But I very much anticipate that the claims that are awarded \u2014 the basis and the amount \u2014 will for sure be made public along the way.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Big Ten on a roll at spring meetings, trying to solve playoff stalemate and other college problems<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s hearing \u2014 Blanche\u2019s first appearance on Capitol Hill since assuming the role of the nation\u2019s chief law enforcement officer \u2014 capped off his dizzying first six weeks on the job, in which he\u2019s delivered a breakneck series of announcements sure to please a president who has sought to exert unique control over the Justice Department.<\/p>\n

The weaponization compensation fund announced Monday is only the latest of those efforts to draw lawmakers\u2019 scrutiny. Legal experts and ethics watchdogs have raised concerns about the deal, given it was negotiated between Trump\u2019s personal attorneys and government lawyers representing the agencies he was suing but who ultimately work for him.<\/p>\n

Blanche, in his short tenure, has also drawn criticism from Democrats over the prosecutors\u2019 decision to indict former FBI director James B. Comey<\/a> on a charge of threatening the president; moves to undo the last remaining convictions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol; and other payouts<\/a> to Trump allies who have claimed they were wronged by the justice system under Democratic administrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you are at a budget hearing asking for taxpayer funds to pursue the department\u2019s mission, when you\u2019re using those funds to punish Trump\u2019s adversaries, reward his friends and pursue his personal vendettas,\u201d Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) said.<\/p>\n

Of the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund, the senator added, \u201cEvery American can see through this illegal, corrupt and self-dealing scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a Monday statement, Blanche cast the fund as a means \u201cfor victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Justice Jackson criticizes Supreme Court\u2019s handling of major voting case<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a developing story and will be updated. <\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The acting attorney general pledged \u2018full transparency\u2019 Tuesday on who will receive payments from the unprecedented deal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nBlanche faces Capitol Hill grilling on $1.8B \u2018anti-weaponization\u2019 fund - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=835\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Blanche faces Capitol Hill grilling on $1.8B \u2018anti-weaponization\u2019 fund - 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