By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-the-dojs-memo-to-republican-senators-on-how-trumps-1-8-billion-anti-weaponization-fund-will-work Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Read the DOJ's memo to Republican senators on how Trump's $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund will work Politics May 21, 2026 12:18 PM EDT The Justice Department issued a new memo detailing how the Trump administration's "anti-weaponization fund" will work after questions from lawmakers mounted about who would benefit, and how President Donald Trump might wield influence. PBS News obtained the one-page summary given to Republican senators Thursday on the $1.776 billion billion fund, which was put in place following a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that ended a lawsuit over the president's leaked tax returns. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The summary says the fund was created to help people "who were victims of lawfare and weaponization," including millions of Americans "whose online speech was censored at the behest of the government, parents silenced at schoolboards, Senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed, churchgoers targeted by the FBI, and so on." The memo also indicates that the Trump family cannot benefit from the fund, though it doesn't specify how that will be enforced. READ MORE: Why legal experts say Trump's new 'anti-weaponization' fund is unprecedented Democrats can submit claims, according to the structure outlined by the agency's summary. "There is no partisan restriction," the summary says. Read the full DOJ summary below. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews
The Justice Department issued a new memo detailing how the Trump administration's "anti-weaponization fund" will work after questions from lawmakers mounted about who would benefit, and how President Donald Trump might wield influence. PBS News obtained the one-page summary given to Republican senators Thursday on the $1.776 billion billion fund, which was put in place following a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that ended a lawsuit over the president's leaked tax returns. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. The summary says the fund was created to help people "who were victims of lawfare and weaponization," including millions of Americans "whose online speech was censored at the behest of the government, parents silenced at schoolboards, Senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed, churchgoers targeted by the FBI, and so on." The memo also indicates that the Trump family cannot benefit from the fund, though it doesn't specify how that will be enforced. READ MORE: Why legal experts say Trump's new 'anti-weaponization' fund is unprecedented Democrats can submit claims, according to the structure outlined by the agency's summary. "There is no partisan restriction," the summary says. Read the full DOJ summary below. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now