GOP Rep. Fitzpatrick: ‘We will attempt to eliminate’ the newly proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund

Bipartisan Push to Eliminate Justice Department Fund

A coalition is taking shape in Congress aimed at dissolving the newly established $1.776 billion Justice Department Compensation Fund. This comes after House Republicans aligned with Democrats to stop the fund’s progress.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), a former FBI agent, emphasized the need for legislative action against what he termed the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization fund.” He mentioned to reporters, “We’re going to try to kill it,” which has led some Republicans to reassess their allegiance to the party.

Fitzpatrick indicated that “concerned” lawmakers are gearing up for a multi-faceted response, including a formal inquiry letter directed at the attorney general and the drafting of legislative measures to restrict funding.

The Justice Department set up the roughly $1.8 billion fund as part of a settlement aimed at ending Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. This lawsuit accused the IRS of not safeguarding Trump’s personal tax details after tax return documents leaked during his initial presidential term.

According to the terms of the agreement, the federal government has dropped unpaid tax claims against Trump and ceased ongoing IRS investigations concerning him and his businesses.

Rather than direct payments to Trump, the government opted to use the Judgment Fund—a continually replenished source for court settlements—to create a compensation commission. This commission is designed to provide payments to individuals who may have been politically targeted or mishandled by the federal judicial system.

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, has proposed the Taxpayer-Funded Payment Slipper Fund Act of 2026, which would explicitly prevent federal agencies from allocating funds to these accounts.

Moreover, Raskin and other Democratic critics argue that since the U.S. Constitution grants Congress complete control over fiscal matters, the executive branch cannot lawfully establish a multi-billion-dollar reparations program without express approval from Congress.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the funding structure before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee, noting that a five-member panel thoroughly assesses claims of federal law violations. He pointed out that similar out-of-court funding mechanisms have been utilized by past Democratic administrations. However, left-wing critics contend that such funds may be manipulated for political ends.