A United States federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's administration from establishing a nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" intended to compensate victims of what Trump has termed government "weaponisation."

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia issued the order on Friday, preventing the Trump administration from taking further steps to set up or operate the fund. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit challenging the fund's creation and potential use.

The fund was announced last week by the Department of Justice as part of a settlement agreement. This settlement resolved a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump, in his personal capacity, against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that a former contractor, Charles Edward Littlejohn, leaked Trump's tax records to journalists.

The proposed fund was to be overseen by a five-member commission. This commission would be responsible for disbursing money to individuals who could demonstrate they were victims of "lawfare" and "weaponisation," terms frequently used by Trump and his supporters to describe investigations and legal cases targeting them.

The lawsuit that led to Friday's ruling was filed by a group led by Andrew Floyd, identified as a prosecutor of the January 6 riots. The plaintiffs argued that the fund was partisan and could potentially be used to support Trump supporters rather than political opponents.

Concerns about the fund's potential beneficiaries, particularly those involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, had already sparked bipartisan backlash. During a congressional hearing earlier this month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche did not definitively rule out the possibility that individuals who assaulted police officers on January 6 could be eligible for payouts from the fund.

As of Friday's ruling, the Department of Justice had not yet formed the commission tasked with setting payout criteria, and no money had been disbursed or claims accepted. Judge Brinkema has scheduled a hearing for June 12 to consider arguments on whether to extend the order blocking the fund's operations.

The creation of the fund has drawn significant attention, particularly given the context of numerous criminal charges and convictions related to the January 6 Capitol riot. While many individuals were charged and convicted, former President Trump later issued pardons and commuted sentences for some involved, and ordered the dismissal of pending January 6 criminal cases last year.