A United States federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's nearly $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate victims of what President Donald Trump has called government 'weaponization'. The ruling was issued on Friday by US District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia.

Judge Brinkema, a Bill Clinton appointee, ordered the administration to cease 'taking any further action' to establish or operate the fund while she hears additional legal arguments. A hearing is scheduled for June 12 to consider extending the block on payouts.

The Department of Justice announced the fund last week as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Trump personally against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of his tax records by former contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn.

The fund was to be overseen by a five-member commission that would release money to individuals who could demonstrate they were victims of 'lawfare' and 'weaponization'—terms used by Trump and his allies to describe investigations and criminal cases against them.

Friday's ruling came in a lawsuit filed by a group led by January 6 prosecutor Andrew Floyd, which claimed the fund would be partisan and benefit Trump supporters rather than his political opponents. The Justice Department has yet to form the commission, so no payments have been made or claims accepted.

The fund has sparked backlash, including from some Republican lawmakers, who expressed anger that some individuals who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, could receive taxpayer-funded payouts. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche did not rule out eligibility for rioters who assaulted police on January 6 during a congressional hearing earlier this month.

Source: www.aljazeera.com