WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday paused implementation of President Trump’s $1.776 billion “weaponization” fund to compensate alleged victims of government persecution.

Alexandria, Va., US District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily blocked the administration from “taking any further action” to set up the fund or disperse the money pending further proceedings.

Brinkema, a Clinton appointee, made the ruling in a case brought by Capitol riot prosecutor Andrew Floyd, who argued the fund is illegal.

The Justice Department established the pot of money last week after Trump agreed to drop a lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Contractor Charles Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to sharing 15 years of Trump’s tax returns with the New York Times for a 2020 article series. 

Littlejohn is currently serving a five-year sentence in a federal prison in Illinois.

The Justice Department said Friday that it “remains extremely confident in the legality of the Anti-Weaponization Fund which is supported by ample precedent, including Obama-era settlements.”

“We will not allow the policy preferences of judges to interfere with our efforts to provide restitution to victims of lawfare,” a DOJ spokesperson said.

Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman, whose group backed the legal challenge, said: “Today, a federal court recognized the urgent need to prevent taxpayer dollars from being distributed through a secretive and unprecedented political compensation scheme before the legality of that program can be fully reviewed by the court.”

“This is a victory for transparency, the rule of law, and the American people,” Perryman said. “No administration has the authority to spend public money through a political rewards program that Congress never authorized. We look forward to the next stages in this case.” 

Trump is not eligible to receive money from the weaponization fund, but many of his political allies are, and high-profile early applicants include many rioters who stormed the Capitol to disrupt certification of the 2020 election results.

If the fund is implemented, distributions would be governed by a five-member panel that would assess applications. Four members would be appointed by the attorney general, with the fifth chosen with congressional input.

In theory, administration officials say anyone can apply for compensation, including Democrats who say they were treated unfairly.

The oversight board reportedly may be called the “President Donald J. Trump Truth and Justice Commission.”