Suspicious judge blocks Trump's slush fund indefinitely
A suspicious judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's slush fund indefinitely.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said she doesn't believe the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund" is truly dead — despite his administration's suggestions — and issued an order blocking it indefinitely, reported CNN.
“When the President of the United States says” he wants something to happen, Brinkema said Friday morning in court, “that’s a pretty good indicator there will be an incentive and motive to make it happen.”
The Virginia-based judge said she blocked the fund under a court order because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other administration officials have not declared the proposal dead under oath or rescinded the so-called settlement agreement between Trump and the IRS that established the fund.
“I do not have in this record the type of uncontestable evidence that this could not be repeated,” Brinkema told Justice Department attorney Andrew Block.
The Bill Clinton nominee gave the Justice Department one week to decide whether any top official will submit a sworn statement declaring the fund is dead.
Brinkema blocked the fund last month on a short-term and temporary basis after lawmakers from both parties spoke out against it.