Democrats launch efforts to kill ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, including ‘Drain the Slush Fund’ bill
Senate Democrats are launching a number of efforts to stop the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” from being established this week. In a “Dear Colleague” letter Monday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are launching a coordinated effort to “kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door.”
“If Republicans return to reconciliation, we will be ready with amendments to shut the fund down,” Schumer wrote. “If they try to bury the issue, we will force them to the Senate floor. If they try to sneak behind appropriations, we will fight them there too.”
With the Republican Party holding a majority in the Senate, it’s unlikely Democrats will be able to stop the fund there.
Democrats introduce bill to stop the fund
In addition to the efforts Schumer introduced Monday, three Democratic senators are also introducing a bill to kill the fund.
Sens. Adam Schiff, Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin announced the “Drain the Slush Fund Act,” saying it would “prevent taxpayer dollars” from being paid out to Trump allies, including former Jan. 6 defendants.
“As Republicans return to Washington to provide further funding for this and other mistaken priorities, we’re going to hold them accountable,” Schiff said. “And as Senators who have actually seen their government weaponized against them, we want to make it clear: We will not allow a single payout from this so-called weaponization fund to be paid.”
The anti-weaponization fund and its legal challenges
The “anti-weaponization fund” was introduced as part of a settlement between President Donald Trump and the IRS. Trump had previously sued the IRS over his 2019 leaked tax returns.
As part of the settlement, the Justice Department said it would administer the fund designed to compensate people who claim they were targeted by a “weaponized” justice system. The department did not describe in detail how it would assess individual claims.
Since its announcement, though, challenges mounted quickly. As Straight Arrow previously reported, nearly three dozen retired federal judges asked a court to reopen Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, saying the settlement was potentially fraudulent.
Former Capitol Police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack have filed a separate lawsuit seeking to block the fund. In addition, a senior Treasury Department attorney resigned in protest hours after the Justice Department announced the settlement.
And late last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked creation of the fund, and a judge reopened Trump’s $10 billion IRS lawsuit.
Round out your reading
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- We’re building a new Straight Arrow. Help us shape our future by taking our survey.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
