Rep. Pettersen Introduces Legislation to Stop Trump’s $1.78B Anti-Weaponization Slush Fund

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) today announced her legislation that would ban Trump's effort to use taxpayer funding to compensate convicted January 6th insurrectionists and others who were charged and convicted of crimes during the Biden Administration. The Weaponization Claims Ban Act specifically blocks the fund by making claims made under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), a backdoor method to be awarded these payments, illegal.

Pettersen's effort comes as the Administration continues to dodge questions around the fund, with even Republican senators today seeking written answers to their questions.

"While American families are struggling to pay for housing, gas, and groceries, this President is trying to pay out our taxpayer dollars to insurrectionists. Everyday Americans are working hard and following the law. But Trump said it himself - he doesn't think about our financial situations. He's too busy settling his political scores and using our money to do it," said Rep. Pettersen. "Time and again, we have seen that we cannot trust this Administration. I'm fighting for accountability and to ensure your hard-earned money is not used to reward the people who stormed the Capitol."

In May, the Trump Administration's Department of Justice unveiled a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund as part of a settlement agreement, contingent upon the President withdrawing a $10 billion legal challenge against the IRS concerning the disclosure of his personal tax records. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the initiative was designed to offer financial awards, public admissions of wrongdoing, and compensation to individuals the administration characterized as being targeted by the former government's alleged political weaponization, like former Mesa County, Colorado County Clerk, Tina Peters, and rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to subvert the 2020 election.

Following its introduction, the fund encountered immediate judicial hurdles and intense congressional opposition, which ultimately resulted in the initiative's termination. However, the DOJ has resisted calls to offer formal, sworn declarations from its high-ranking leadership to guarantee that this illegitimate $1.8 billion slush fund will not be established. Lawmakers, including Rep. Pettersen, have grown concerned that after President Trump's national address last week - where he again hammered baseless claims about the 2020 election, aired personal grievances about investigations and political opponents, and cast doubt on the integrity of the upcoming November election - individuals like Tina Peters are being emboldened to seek taxpayer-funded remedies through channels that were never intended for this purpose.

Recent reports show that legal counsel for numerous January 6 defendants-as well as individuals attempting to overturn election results-are signaling plans to pursue awards under the FTCA. These individuals' pursuit of retribution has increased in the wake of Trump's unlawful Anti-Weaponization Fund being terminated.

Pettersen has also consistently fought for accountability, and against the Trump Administration's aims to subvert the Constitution, and its election denial claims. She is a member of the Financial Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, and consistently fights for good governance and the effective use of taxpayer dollars. In June, Congresswoman Pettersen led a letter with Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, demanding answers about these backdoor payments. They have not received a response to their request.

Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

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