NEED TO KNOW

• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) vowed Wednesday to "kill" the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced legislation to bar all federal funding for it.
• The first claimant is Michael Caputo, a Trump ally requesting $2.7 million.

WASHINGTON (TDR) — Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, told reporters Wednesday he would "try to kill" the Trump Justice Department's $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, adding genuine bipartisan weight to a constitutional challenge already moving in Congress.

The big picture: Fitzpatrick said his office is "considering legislative options" and a formal letter to the attorney general. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking member of House Judiciary, introduced the "No Taxpayer-Funded Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2026" the same day.

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• The Raskin bill bars all federal funds from backing the settlement.
• It would block any January 6 rioter from receiving payouts.
• It requires DOJ to disclose settlements over $100,000 and lets Congress recall funds over $250,000.

Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters he was "not a big fan" of the fund. Republican leadership skepticism is now in the public record alongside Fitzpatrick's open opposition.

• Fitzpatrick represents a purple Pennsylvania district Democrats targeted for 2026.
• Raskin paired the bill with subpoena requests for Blanche, Bessent, and IRS Commissioner Bisignano, with a coalition forming on Capitol Hill.
• Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges filed a separate federal lawsuit Wednesday to dissolve the fund.

Driving the news: The first claimant filed Wednesday is Michael Caputo, a longtime Trump ally who served as HHS spokesperson in the first Trump administration, seeking $2.7 million over the Biden-era Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

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• Acting AG Todd Blanche testified Tuesday the fund was "unusual but not unprecedented."
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) noted settlements typically follow litigation, not future claims.
• Treasury must move $1.776 billion within 60 days per the DOJ memo.

What they're saying:

• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) — "Bad news. We're gonna try to kill it. We're considering legislative options. We're trying to unpack the legal machinations, but he can't do that."
• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) — "Trump is trying to commandeer nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds to bankroll a slush fund for January 6 cop-beaters and aggrieved MAGA foot soldiers."

Yes, but: The constitutional argument cuts cleanly across party lines. The Constitution vests appropriations authority in Congress, and the fund draws from the federal Judgment Fund without new congressional approval. Republican strategist Ford O'Connell argued the fund will pay people unrelated to January 6, which both sides now accept.

• The DOJ frames the structure as a settlement mechanism, not an appropriation.
• Blanche told the Senate the commission would screen claims, not categorically exclude classes.
• "Unusual but not unprecedented" leaves wide interpretive space.

Between the lines: The coalition cracking is the structural story, not the family-drama framing some outlets are leading with. A former FBI agent in a swing district, the Senate Majority Leader, and the ranking House Judiciary Democrat are publicly skeptical within 72 hours. That's bipartisan oversight forming around a constitutional question.

• The first claimant being a Trump ally narrows the political defense window.
• The Judgment Fund precedent question would outlast any administration that won the immediate fight.

What's next:

• The Raskin bill faces a House Republican majority but with at least one named GOP signal.
• The Dunn-Hodges federal complaint moves toward its first hearing on injunctive relief.
• Caputo's $2.7 million claim becomes the test case for what the commission will pay.

If the first claimant is a Trump ally and the first congressional opposition includes a former FBI agent, what does that say about who this fund was built for?

Sources

This report was compiled using reporting from The Hill on Fitzpatrick, The Hill on the Raskin bill, The Hill on Caputo and Thune, Newsweek, Mediaite, the DOJ Office of Public Affairs announcement, AOL/Independent reporting on the Capitol Police lawsuit, and The Hill on Blanche's testimony

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