By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked a request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “weaponization” fund, citing Justice Department statements and court filings that said the administration was abandoning the fund.
• U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled the request, made by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, was moot because the government had made clear it was not moving forward with the fund, even as Trump has repeatedly said he loves the idea of creating a pool of money to pay supporters who say they are victims of government abuse. Leon called the case “highly unusual.”
• The fund emerged from a settlement agreement between Trump and the Justice Department over the president’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. Leon asked Justice Department attorney Andrew Block why department leaders would not formally rescind the fund. “I don’t know,” he said.
• Leon also asked Block to reckon with Trump’s statements of support for the fund and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche telling lawmakers the fund was not moving forward. Block argued the administration could view payouts and rectifying past government wrongs as important while also saying the fund would not move forward. “Don’t play possum with this court,” Leon told Block before ending the hearing.
• The ruling does not affect a separate order from a federal judge in Virginia who issued a temporary halt to the fund last week. That temporary order is set to expire on Friday, when the judge in the case is scheduled to hear oral arguments.
(Reporting by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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