By admin 
WASHINGTON (AZFamily) — President Trump is signaling he will back off his controversial “anti-weaponization fund.”
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The Justice Department said Monday it will abide by a federal court ruling, at least temporarily putting the fund on hold.
The $1.8 billion settlement stems from the illegal release of hundreds of tax returns by someone in the IRS tied to Trump and his family. It was going to go toward people who claimed they were being politically prosecuted by the Justice Department under President Biden.
The court order came down Friday but is only temporary, pausing payments for two weeks.
Democrats introduce legislation to shut down the fund
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and other Democrats want to make that pause permanent.
“Donald Trump should be ashamed of himself for even coming up with this corrupt scheme in the first place,” Kelly said.
Kelly and other Democratic leaders went on the offensive Monday, introducing a bill they call the “Drain the Slush Fund Act.”
“Let’s call this what it is. This is corruption in broad daylight. This administration is trying to create this fund with taxpayer money to reward the president’s friends and these insurrectionists who attacked this building on January 6th,” Kelly said.
The proposed legislation would shut down the so-called “anti-weaponization fund.” It would also prevent future presidents from creating similar deals.
The $1.8 billion fund was created as part of a legal settlement between the president and the IRS that is now coming under scrutiny from a federal judge.
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Terms of the deal would also bar the IRS from auditing Trump and his family.
Kelly and two other Democrats say the bill is necessary, worried Trump will bring this back after the court-ordered pause expires in a couple of weeks.
“That’s why we’re introducing this legislation to put a permanent stop to this and make sure no president, Republican or Democrat can abuse the Department of Justice for these kind of corrupt deals in the future,” Kelly said.
Bipartisan concerns over the fund
Republicans also have problems with the fund, especially in the Senate, due to a perceived lack of oversight.
There’s also concern that some of the payouts could end up in the hands of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Sources say that, with all the pushback, the president is now considering scrapping the idea entirely.
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