US DOJ Establishes $1.7B Fund to Compensate Allies Prosecuted During Biden's Tenure
(Per a future-dated article) The U.S. Department of Justice, under President Trump, announced the creation of a $1.7 billion (approx. NT$53.7 billion) "Anti-Weaponization Fund." The fund is intended to compensate political allies who were prosecuted during the administration of former President Joe Biden. This move is part of a settlement where Trump will drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS for leaking his tax returns, drawing sharp criticism from opponents who label it a "slush fund."
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 11:17
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 11:31 (14 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 11:38 (7 min after Collected)
(CNA, Washington, May 18, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Department of Justice under U.S. President Trump announced today the establishment of a fund of up to $1.7 billion (approximately NT$53.7 billion) to compensate political allies who were prosecuted during the administration of former President Joe Biden. The Justice Department stated that in exchange for establishing the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund,' Trump will withdraw the $10 billion lawsuit he filed in January against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for leaking his tax return data. In 2023, former IRS employee Charles 'Chaz' Littlejohn admitted to leaking the tax information of Trump and other wealthy individuals to the media and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. The Justice Department is currently led by Trump's former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche. The department said the establishment of the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' is part of the settlement agreement in the IRS case. 'The government should not 'weaponize' the justice system against any American people,' said Acting Attorney General Blanche in a statement. 'The goal of the Justice Department is to right the wrongs of the past and ensure such incidents do not happen again.' 'As part of the settlement agreement, we will establish a legal process for victims of legal battles and weaponization to have their voices heard and seek compensation,' the statement said. Blanche will appoint five people to manage the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund,' and the Trump family will receive a 'formal apology, but no monetary compensation.' Following the news, Democratic members of Congress and watchdog groups immediately criticized the plan as a blatant 'slush fund' designed to reward the Republican president's loyal supporters with taxpayer money. 'Trump sued his own government, his Justice Department settled with him, and now Trump has a slush fund of nearly $2 billion to reward his allies, cronies, and rioters,' said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. (Translator: Shih-Shih) 1150519