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Federal Judge Orders Discovery in Lawsuit Over Defunct Anti-Weaponization Fund
Just the facts
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia granted a discovery motion compelling the federal government to produce documents regarding the creation of the anti-weaponization fund. The proposed $1.8 billion compensation program was initially connected to a settlement involving a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the Internal Revenue Service concerning leaked tax returns. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche previously stated that the proposed fund was discontinued following public and bipartisan congressional criticism. Plaintiffs in the suit contend that the program was designed to compensate prosecuted individuals, including defendants involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
Why this is news
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis ordered the Trump administration to provide discovery materials revealing who designed a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate targets of political lawfare. The order stems from a lawsuit filed by non-profit organization Democracy Forward on behalf of a former prosecutor and a college professor acquitted of assaulting federal agents.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.