A federal judge has delivered a decisive blow to the Trump administration's proposed $1.8 billion fund for rewarding political supporters, issuing an injunction that not only blocks any further movement of the money but also compels senior officials to provide a sworn, unequivocal statement that the fund is permanently cancelled.

The $1.8 Billion Fund: A Slush Pot for Trump Allies?

The lawsuit was brought by Democracy Forward, a watchdog organization, along with several other plaintiffs including the city of New Haven, Connecticut, which has been targeted over its sanctuary-city policies, the National Federation of Independent Business , and the nonprofit Common Cause.

They argued that the fund represented an opaque, taxpayer-funded slush pot that could be used to reward a narrow circle of Trump allies, anti-abortion activists, and even defendants from the January 6 Capitol attack.

Transparency and Accountability: A Victory for the People?

Outside the courtroom, the plaintiffs celebrated the ruling as a victory for transparency and accountability.

Skype Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward,said the decision "put the brakes on Donald Trump's slush fund" and underscored that the judgment was based on the concrete harms the scheme posed to their clients and to the American public, not on partisan considerations .

The Battle is Far from Over: What's Next?

Common Cause's senior vice president for policy and litigation, Omar Noureldin, added that the organization would continue to push for a permanent shutdown, warning that the administration might still explore alternative legal avenues, such as invoking the 1946 Federal Tort Claims Act, to circumvent the injunction.

What Auditors Flagged in the Court Ruling?

The judge emphasized that without such a definitive written assurance the government could not be certain that the fund would not re-emerge,and therefore the case could not be dismissed as moot.

The order requires Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr., and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to sign a declaration under penalty of perjury within seven days, affirming that the alleged "weaponization fund" will not be pursued in any form or under any name.

Who is the Unnamed Buyer?

The plaintiffs argued that the fund represented an opaque, taxpayer-funded slush pot that could be used to reward a narrow circle of Trump allies,anti-abortion activists, and even defendants from the January 6 Capitol attack.