Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed reservations about a newly announced $1.7 billion federal compensation fund, questioning its purpose and signaling potential scrutiny from Congress. The fund, announced by the Justice Department, is intended to provide compensation to individuals the administration says were “unfairly” investigated by previous governments.
Thune described himself as “not a big fan” of the initiative, making him the most prominent Republican to raise concerns. He said he is unclear on how the fund will operate and anticipates significant attention from lawmakers.
Democrats criticized the plan, describing it as a political payout program. They argue that some recipients could include individuals associated with investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol events. Sen. Patty Murray called the fund “corruption that has never been more blatant or more widespread.”
The Justice Department has called the initiative the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and said it is nonpartisan, open to all applicants, and overseen by a five-member commission. Four members of the commission will be appointed by the attorney general, and the total fund is set at $1.776 billion, a figure the administration noted reflects the year 1776.
The fund was created alongside an agreement in which President Donald Trump dropped a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service concerning leaked tax documents. Under the agreement, plaintiffs, including Trump’s sons and the Trump Organization, will receive apologies but no monetary compensation.
The announcement also coincided with the resignation of Treasury Department general counsel Brian Morrissey, who left the role shortly after the fund was unveiled. The resignation has raised additional questions about internal administration responses, though officials noted Morrissey served with “honour and integrity.”