Justice Department Announces Anti-Weaponization Fund

The Justice Department said Monday it has created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of a settlement resolving President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

The department said the fund will provide a process for people alleging they were harmed by government weaponization or lawfare to submit claims and seek redress. AP, The Washington Post, ABC News and Axios separately reported the same core development on May 18, 2026.

The announcement adds a new claims mechanism to a settlement that ends Trump’s long-running IRS case. The Washington Post reported that the agreement was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and gives the fund broad authority to distribute payments.

AP reported that people who believe they were targeted for political prosecution may apply for payouts. The Justice Department did not publicly detail in the statement how claims will be prioritized, how the review panel will be selected, or when the filing process will open.

Those operational questions are likely to shape the next phase of the program. Courts or Congress could also face pressure to scrutinize the legality and implementation of the fund, which the department tied directly to the IRS settlement.

The announcement marks an unusual use of a settlement to create a large federal claims process for alleged victims of government misconduct.