President Trump has expressed his strong support for a fund aimed at compensating individuals who claim to have been unfairly prosecuted by the government. This includes those prosecuted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. However, a federal judge has issued an order temporarily barring the administration from establishing the $1.8 billion fund.
On Friday, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, ruled against the fund’s creation. Her decision highlighted inconsistencies in President Trump’s statements regarding the fund’s status. While acting Attorney General Todd Blanche informed Congress that the fund would not proceed, President Trump remained vague about its future.
Judge Brinkema noted during a court hearing that the conflicting statements from the administration raised the possibility of the fund re-emerging. She emphasized the lack of definitive assurance that the fund would not be revived in another form.
The judge allowed the administration a potential exit strategy from the order. She stated that her decision could be reconsidered if the Justice Department submits a declaration within a week. This declaration, signed by Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent under penalty of perjury, must affirm that the fund is permanently abandoned.
Judge Brinkema’s ruling extends a temporary halt she enacted in May. It also follows a decision by another federal judge, Richard J. Leon in Washington, who declined to impose a similar hold on the fund.
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