The U.S. Department of Justice announced it will not move forward with a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund following a federal court filing [1].
The decision halts a high-profile effort to allocate significant federal resources to combat the alleged political weaponization of the legal system. This move comes amid bipartisan political backlash and legal challenges regarding the fund's constitutionality.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the DOJ declined to submit a sworn declaration to a federal judge regarding the matter [1]. The department's decision was reported on Friday, June 5, 2026 [2], though some reports indicated the decision occurred on Tuesday, June 3 [3].
The proposed fund was valued between $1.776 billion [2] and $1.8 billion [1]. The DOJ said in court filings that providing a sworn declaration was unnecessary to the proceedings.
According to the filing, the department argued that "such declarations are unnecessary and the compelled testimony of senior officials from the Executive Branch implicates serious separation of powers concerns" [2]. The DOJ said that forcing senior officials to testify would raise significant legal issues regarding the balance of power between government branches [1].
The abandonment of the fund follows a period of intense scrutiny over how the money would be administered and whether the project overstepped the authority of the executive branch. The DOJ's refusal to provide written testimony to the court marks a definitive end to the pursuit of the multi-billion dollar initiative [1].
“The DOJ announced it will not move forward with a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund.”
The DOJ's reversal suggests a strategic retreat to avoid a potentially damaging judicial precedent regarding executive privilege and the separation of powers. By declining to testify and abandoning the fund, the department avoids a direct constitutional clash with the judiciary while neutralizing a political lightning rod that had drawn bipartisan criticism.
