The Justice Department announced on June 2 that it has ended or put on hold a $1.8 billion fund created to compensate people claimed to have been unjustly targeted by the Biden administration, including potential January 6 Capitol rioters [1, 2].
The fund was established as part of a settlement stemming from Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over alleged tax record mishandling [3]. It aimed to redress what Trump called government "weaponisation" against his supporters [1, 3, 2].
Republican opposition played a key role in stopping the fund. GOP lawmakers threatened to block a $72 billion immigration funding bill if the fund continued [1, 2]. Some Republicans also opposed a provision in the fund banning current tax audits of Trump and his family, calling it controversial [1]. An unnamed former Trump adviser said, "This was a total self-inflicted wound and completely unnecessary. It speaks to the president's myopic view sometimes. He's going to do what he wants to do regardless of whether it hurts Republicans" [1].
Federal judges in Virginia and Florida issued temporary halts on June 1, ordering further review of the fund through June 12 [3]. The Trump administration disagreed with the court decisions but agreed to abide by the orders [3].
The cancellation marked a rare moment of Republican pushback against Trump within his own party during his second term [1, 2].
The legal review continues through June 12 as the Justice Department and courts assess the fund’s future [3].
