WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats in Congress are panning President Trump’s more than $1.7 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund that will allow “victims of lawfare” — including former first son Hunter Biden — to receive cash payouts.
While Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that it was “unusual” but “not unprecedented,” several Republicans came out publicly against the $1.776 billion settlement on Tuesday.
“Yeah, not a big fan,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters. “I’m not sure exactly how they intend to use it. … I don’t see a purpose for it.”
The agreement concludes a federal suit from Trump and his sons Don Jr. and Eric against the US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service for leaking the Trump Organization’s tax returns, though none of the first family members will receive payments.
In exchange, the Trumps will withdraw claims related to the FBI’s probe into collusion between the president’s 2016 campaign and Russia as well as the bureau’s August 2022 raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
“I’ve never heard of someone negotiating with themselves and making a plea bargain with themselves, so I think there’s no precedent for it,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) quipped of the settlement to NOTUS.
But Blanche, Vice President JD Vance and others have pushed back, noting that the fund is open to victims of politicized prosecutions from all sides of the political spectrum.
“Republicans can apply for it. Democrats can apply for it,” Vance told reporters at a White House briefing Tuesday. “If Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.”
Hunter Biden’s attorney declined to comment.
Former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, who is in the middle of a legal fight with the DC Bar over a possible revocation of his law license related to advice he gave Trump related to 2020 election interference, said in a statement that he expects to be made “whole for my damages.”
Details about who would immediately qualify remained sparse. The vice president indicated that Tina Peters, a Trump ally who was recently pardoned for granting unauthorized access to voting machines in 2021, would be in line for compensation — though she was convicted in a state court.
Vance also suggested that those pardoned for federal crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot would be eligible on a case-by-case basis, refusing to rule out violent offenders’ eligibility.
“Trump pardoned violent insurrectionists who assaulted YOUR Capitol to overturn YOUR votes,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) fumed in an X post Monday. “And now he wants to give them YOUR hard-earned tax dollars as a reward.”
During a combative appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Blanche stressed that five commissioners will be appointed by the AG to oversee how the money is doled out, but was noncommittal about whether Trump could have input over who becomes a commissioner.
“Has the DOJ ever used amounts in the judgment fund to pay claims that have yet to be brought against the United States government, based on the settlement of a completely unrelated case?” asked Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) during an appropriations hearing Tuesday.
“The short answer is yes,” Blanche responded. “This was done during the Obama administration, something almost identical in structure to what we announced yesterday. In that case, there were allegations made by Native Americans that the Department of Agriculture had systematically, treated them unfairly and some had filed claims there was a pending lawsuit, but many had not.”
“A fund very similar to the one that was established yesterday was set up. I mean, it was funded by in today’s dollars, a little over $1 billion,” he added.
Democrats also repeatedly grilled Blanche over whether or not violent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters could get lofty payouts from the taxpayer-funded compensation program.
Blanche refused to rule that out as well, deferring to the yet-to-be-named commissioners, and said that the fund will be open to anyone wronged by the government, regardless of political affiliation.
“It is true that this is unusual. That is true. But it is not unprecedented. And it was done to address something that had never happened again either,” Blanche said.
“You’re a very gifted lawyer,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) told Blanche, “but from my perspective, you have very little faith to the Constitution and the people of America.”
Sen. Murray (D-Wash.) fumed to the acting AG that the fund “is nothing short of the sitting president of the United States looting from the Treasury for his own gain.”
“This is corruption that has never been more blatant or more bright,” Murray shot back. “But what is happening is you write the check. Trump and his cronies cash [it].”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Senate panel, zeroed in on how Blanche previously served as Trump’s defense attorney during prosecutions that led up to the 2024 election.
“You are acting today like the president’s personal attorney. And that’s the whole problem,” the Maryland Democrat chastised.
“You have a whole banner of his face hanging over the Department of Justice, and you and everybody else walks under it, and you are acting like you’re his current personal attorney.”