A federal judge in Virginia extended her order blocking the Trump administration’s Anti-Weaponization Fund while directing the government to provide a sworn statement that the fund will not be revived.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal judge on June 12 extended an order blocking the Trump administration’s Anti-Weaponization Fund, keeping the program frozen while the government and challengers work toward an agreement over its future.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the new order, saying the fund will remain blocked for now. She gave the parties one week to negotiate terms for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to file a sworn declaration stating that the Trump administration will not restart the fund.
The order follows Blanche’s June 2 statement to a congressional committee that the U.S. Department of Justice was scrapping the fund.
Brinkema had first temporarily blocked the federal government’s efforts to establish the fund on May 29. At the time, she said court action was necessary to ensure that no money would be “irreversibly disbursed” before litigation over the fund could proceed.
The fund has faced multiple legal challenges as courts consider whether the administration may move forward with it. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on June 10 denied a request by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, known as CREW, for a temporary restraining order against the fund.
Brinkema’s latest order leaves the Virginia block in place while requiring the government to clarify under oath that the program will not be revived. The sworn declaration, if filed, could shape how the litigation proceeds and whether the court maintains, modifies or lifts the current restrictions.
For now, the Anti-Weaponization Fund remains on hold while the parties negotiate the wording and scope of the government’s assurance.
Original article
Comments