DOJ urges courts to dismiss lawsuits as anti-weaponization fund won’t move forward

The Justice Department asked two federal judges to reject lawsuits challenging the $1.7 billion anti-weaponization fund, arguing the case is moot because Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the program will not go forward. The filings say there is no live issue before the courts, even as Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily blocked disbursement to prevent irreversible transfers. The suits—by CREW in D.C. and by Virginia plaintiffs including a former prosecutor—seek longer-term relief, but DOJ contends the political process should resolve the matter and that the fund’s status has changed. The fund originated in a Trump‑IRS settlement and faced bipartisan backlash; Blanche’s assurances suggest the fund may not be resurrected.