Justice Department Creates Fund to Compensate Claims of Government Targeting

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the creation of an "anti-weaponisation fund" on Monday that will accept claims from people who say they were unfairly targeted by federal agencies. The fund will receive just under $1.8 billion from an existing government account used for legal settlements.

Trump accused the agencies of failing to prevent the 2018-2020 leak of his tax information to The New York Times.

2018 and 2020, Trump's tax returns were provided to The New York Times by Charles Edward Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor. Littlejohn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2024. The settlement was announced Tuesday by the office of the attorney general in Washington, D.C. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the fund will create a process for victims of alleged government overreach to seek compensation.

How the Fund Will Operate People who believe they were harmed by federal legal actions can file claims for cash payments, debt relief, or other forms of compensation. The fund will issue quarterly reports to the attorney general detailing who received payments and in what form.

A five-member panel appointed by the attorney general will oversee the fund, with one member selected in consultation with congressional leaders. The fund will stop accepting new claims after December 1, 2028.

" The Cato Institute published an analysis calling the fund a slush fund that bypasses congressional authorization. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the fund follows a similar structure to a 2011 settlement under former President Barack Obama that compensated Native American farmers and ranchers.

Legal experts noted that the current fund was not created through a class-action lawsuit and will have limited judicial oversight.