Judge isn’t swayed by government’s claims that plans for an ‘anti-weaponization fund’ are dead

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge who blocked the creation of a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” for compensating President Donald Trump’s political allies wasn’t swayed by a government attorney’s assurances Friday that the administration has abandoned the concept. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia didn’t rule from the bench on the government’s request for her to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the fund’s formation and operation. But the judge rejected the notion that the case’s claims are moot because the Trump administration says the fund is dead and won’t go forward. “The issues that underlie this case are still alive and kicking, in my view,” Brinkema said. The fund for compensating Trump’s political allies encountered a fierce bipartisan backlash and threatened to derail Attorney General Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmation. Trump, a Republican, continued to publicly express support for the fund even as Blanche insisted it was dead. “They contradict themselves all the time,” Brinkema said.

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