35 former federal judges ask court to reopen Trump v IRS case over controversial $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’
(May 28, 2026) A bipartisan coalition of 35 former federal judges filed a motion Wednesday urging a federal court in Florida to reopen Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and investigate whether the settlement behind his administration’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” amounted to fraud on the court.
The judges did not file a new lawsuit. Instead, they submitted a formal motion and alternative amicus curiae request in the existing Trump v. IRS case, asking U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to reopen proceedings under Rule 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The filing argues the court may have been deceived when Trump abruptly dismissed the case before details of the settlement became public.
The retired judges said they hope to preserve the status quo while the court examines whether the settlement was legally valid and whether the lawsuit itself was “collusive, feigned, or fraudulent.” Their filing claims the parties bypassed judicial scrutiny by dismissing the case before the judge could determine whether an actual legal controversy existed.
Trump originally sued the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion, accusing the agency of failing to prevent former contractor Charles Littlejohn from leaking his tax returns and other confidential records. But the lawsuit drew scrutiny because Trump, as president, effectively controlled the executive agencies he was suing.
Shortly after the case was dismissed, the Justice Department announced the creation of the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a compensation program designed for people who claim they were unfairly targeted by prior Democratic administrations. The settlement also reportedly included broad protections shielding Trump, members of his family and Trump-affiliated businesses from future IRS-related claims and investigations.
Critics in Congress and the courts have sharply attacked the fund, with opponents labeling it a taxpayer-funded “slush fund.” Concerns intensified after administration officials declined to rule out payments to some Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendants. NPR reported that several pardoned rioters were already discussing possible payouts, with some expecting compensation worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
Former Capitol Police officers— both injured during the Jan. 6 attack — filed one lawsuit seeking to block the fund. Another lawsuit was filed by a former federal prosecutor, a California professor and the city of New Haven, Connecticut, alleging the program violates constitutional protections and unfairly favors Trump allies.
The former judges’ filing argues the settlement “commandeers” nearly $1.8 billion from the Treasury “to be handed out to recipients chosen by a commission effectively controlled by the President.” The judges also contend the agreement was “never legally justified” because federal settlement authorities require a legitimate legal dispute, not what they described as a potentially staged proceeding.
Trump’s Justice Department rejected the accusations. Spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre called the motion “frivolous” and said it is routine for plaintiffs to dismiss lawsuits without publicly disclosing settlement terms.
Despite the growing legal and political pressure, Trump has publicly defended the program. In a Truth Social post, he said the fund is intended to help people “so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration” finally receive “JUSTICE!”
For now, the Anti-Weaponization Fund remains active, though its future could depend on the several ongoing court challenges and whether Judge Williams agrees to reopen the underlying IRS case.
For more on the dozens of former federal judges’ major legal filing against Trump’s proposed slush fund for January 6th insurrectionists, check out the video below.
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(Sources: New York Times, Trump v. IRS via taxnotes.com, USA TODAY, CNN, NPR)
(Cover photo of Donald Trump, Image credit: X)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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