The so-called ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund championed by Donald Trump has been quietly dismantled, sources confirm, as Republican infighting reaches fever pitch. The fund, initially touted as a mechanism to prevent government agencies from being used for political retribution, has instead become a toxic asset in a party at war with itself.
Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that the fund’s closure was forced through by a coalition of establishment Republicans who saw it as a direct threat to their own influence. The fund, which was meant to bolster oversight of intelligence and law enforcement, has been frozen for weeks, with staff reassigned and accountability measures quietly shelved. One insider described it as “a corpse they finally decided to bury.”
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Britain’s financial governance has been singled out for rare praise. A confidential report from the International Financial Stability Board, circulated among G7 finance ministers, lauds the UK’s banking watchdog for its robust anti-money laundering protocols. The report notes that the Financial Conduct Authority has “set a global benchmark” in tracking illicit flows, particularly through London’s property market.
This praise comes at a delicate time. British regulators have been under fire for perceived leniency towards Russian oligarchs and corrupt politicians. Yet the leaked document argues that the UK’s “traffic light” system for high-risk transactions has blocked billions in suspicious payments since 2022. One senior official said: “We’ve been called a laundromat for dirty money. This shows we’re the ones turning off the machines.”
Back in Washington, Trump’s allies are scrambling. The fund’s demise leaves a vacuum in oversight that critics say will be exploited. “The fund was a shield against weaponisation of the state,” a former Trump aide claimed. “Now the sharks are circling, and they’ve got the knives out.” But others see it differently. A Republican strategist close to House leadership told me: “This was never about ethics. It was about loyalty oaths and vendettas. Good riddance.”
The clash is set to intensify. With the 2024 election looming, the Republican Party is fracturing along its deepest fault lines. The fund’s collapse is a symptom of a broader cancer: the inability to govern without scoring points. Meanwhile, Britain’s financial governance stands as a rare counterpoint, a system that, for all its flaws, still tries to enforce the rules.
Corruption has no colour. It stains red, blue, and Union Jacks alike. But while the US burns over imaginary witch hunts, the City of London quietly does the work. For now.
