WASHINGTON D.C. (KEYT) – California's Senate delegation joined every Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in demanding that the acting Inspector General launch an immediate investigation into the Trump Administration's nearly $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund.
"We write to request that you immediately initiate an investigation into the creation of the nearly $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' announced by the Department of Justice on May 18, 2026, from a settlement agreement in Trump v. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)," opened the letter to acting Inspector General William Blier. "This slush fund represents waste, fraud, and abuse of an unprecedented magnitude and must be subjected to independent scrutiny."
The group of ten Senators noted that the root of the dispute in Trump v. IRS involved the President of the United States filing a lawsuit against his own administration, something the presiding judge noted during court proceedings earlier this year, and initially included a demand for $10 billion in damages to be paid directly to the plaintiffs.
"[T]he President sued his own Administration, naming the personnel he directs as defendants," detailed the letter to acting Inspector General Blier. "Reflecting this very concern, the judge presiding over the case scheduled a hearing for May 27, 2026, to consider whether there was sufficient adverseness between the parties involved for the case to proceed."
Before that late May hearing in the Southern District of Florida, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of the President's claims, which included two of his sons and the Trump Organization LLC., on May 18.
"The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department's intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again," stated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a press release about the agreement. "As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress."
According to the settlement agreement, "the United States shall provide the U.S. Department of the Treasury with all necessary forms and documentation to direct a payment of $1,776,000,000 to an account for the sole use by the Anti-Weaponization Fund. The corpus of the Anti-Weaponization Fund's funding does not represent the value of any claim by Plaintiffs, but rather is based on the projected valuation of future claimants' claims."
The Department of Justice explained in a press release the same day as the announcement of the settlement that the Anti-Weaponization Fund, "will have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants. Submission of a claim is voluntary. There are no partisan requirements to file a claim", but the Fund's disbursement decisions ultimately come down to a five-member board that, "will consist of five members appointed by the Attorney General. One Member will be chosen in consultation with congressional leadership. The President can remove any member, but a replacement must be chosen the same way as the replaced member was selected."
Funding for the Anti-Weaponization Fund comes from Read more