In a striking reversal, the Trump administration has conceded to a federal court ruling that halts the disbursement of a controversial $1.8 billion fund, dubbed the ‘anti-weaponisation’ initiative. Sources confirm the Department of Justice will not appeal the decision, effectively freezing the programme designed to counter foreign influence operations.
The fund, quietly established through an executive order in March, was intended to finance covert operations aimed at disrupting alleged disinformation campaigns by adversarial states. Critics argued it granted the executive branch unchecked authority to label domestic dissent as foreign interference. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit, called the fund a ‘slush pool for propaganda’.
Court documents show the fund was structured through a series of shell corporations linked to private intelligence contractors. Whistleblowers had flagged irregularities in procurement, including no-bid contracts exceeding $200 million. ‘This was a slush fund, plain and simple,’ said one former intelligence official familiar with the programme. ‘They were gearing up to target journalists, activists, and even political rivals.’
The case, launched in the Southern District of New York, moved with unusual speed. Judge Lorna Schofield issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, citing ‘grave constitutional concerns’ over the fund’s lack of oversight. The administration’s decision not to contest the ruling suggests a willingness to avoid a protracted legal battle as the election looms.
But the fight is far from over. Congressional sources indicate that House Democrats are launching an investigation into the fund’s origins and the role of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in its creation. Uncovered documents suggest Pompeo personally signed off on the fund’s charter, bypassing standard interagency review. ‘This reeks of unaccountable power,’ said a senior Democratic aide. ‘We will follow the money and find the bodies.’
For now, the fund remains frozen. But with $1.8 billion in limbo and a presidential campaign underway, the question is not whether the money will be spent, but how. And on whose orders.
