Judge declines to halt "anti-weaponization fund" but warns DOJ not to "play possum"

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A national justice connected Wednesday denied a petition to artifact the Trump administration's "anti-weaponization fund," accepting the government's statement that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had already vowed not to determination guardant with the arguable $1.776 cardinal fund.

But successful a tribunal hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a informing to the Justice Department: "Don't play possum with this court."

Leon's determination not to contented a impermanent restraining bid marked an aboriginal triumph for the Justice Department successful 1 of the lawsuits it's facing implicit the anti-weaponization fund, which was unveiled past period to settee a suit that President Trump filed against the IRS implicit the leak of his taxation returns. The money — tasked with paying claims to alleged victims of authorities persecution — drew bipartisan pushback, with Democrats casting it arsenic a "slush fund" for Trump allies.

Blanche testified during a legislature hearing past week that the Justice Department is "not moving guardant with the fund," pursuing unit from Republicans and a ruling successful a abstracted lawsuit that temporarily blocked the authorities from moving forward.

Since then, the authorities has argued that courts should cull different lawsuits against the money due to the fact that Blanche has already declared it dead, making the cases moot.

During Wednesday's hearing, Leon sided with the authorities implicit the watchdog radical Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics successful Washington, which had filed a lawsuit calling the money "brazenly illegal." The justice said helium is "not persuaded a unrecorded contention remains," citing the government's representations that the money is not moving forward.

Leon said helium volition determine separately astir the group's petition for a preliminary injunction.

A lawyer for the group, Nikhel Sus, argued successful tribunal that the fund's charter remains "in afloat unit and effect," and modifications indispensable beryllium made successful penning by each parties. He said Blanche's connection is not a legally valid rescission of the policy, and noted that Mr. Trump hasn't said the money is dead.

The justice noted that Mr. Trump "may beryllium doing what he's doing for governmental benefit."

When the justice asked the Justice Department's attorney, Andrew Block, wherefore the authorities would not rescind the bid creating the fund, helium said helium didn't know: "All I cognize is that the acting lawyer wide has said the money is not moving forward."

Block argued the lawsuit is moot, determination is nary lasting and it is not ripe for judicial review. He said nary members of the five-person committee to administer the money person been appointed, nary processes person been adopted, nary claims person been submitted and nary wealth has been sent out.

At 1 point, the lawyer for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics successful Washington pointed retired that Blanche declined to rescind the money successful penning erstwhile helium testified to the House Appropriations Committee.

"This is highly unusual," Sus said.

"This full lawsuit is unusual, to accidental the least," Leon said.

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