Trump Fund Blocked by Federal Court

A US federal court has temporarily halted the Trump administration's effort to create a nearly $1.8bn fund to compensate people the president says were victims of politically motivated abuses of state institutions.

Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the government may not proceed with the preparation or administration of the fund pending further legal arguments.

The fund, known as the Anti-Weaponization Fund, was announced by the Justice Department as part of a settlement agreement in Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The dispute concerned the leaking of the president's tax returns.

The court's decision does not permanently cancel the project but represents a significant obstacle to its rapid launch.

(reuters, mja)