Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said he is “100%” determined to stop the Trump Justice Department from creating a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim the government weaponized investigations against them.
Fitzpatrick, one of the most moderate Republicans in the House, told reporters he plans to push legislation to block the fund and has already fired off a letter to the Justice Department demanding answers about where the money is coming from and how it will be spent.
“Once we get to the bottom of the source of the funding, we’re going to put legislative text together,” Fitzpatrick said on Wednesday, May 20. “We’ve got to figure out what we have jurisdiction over.”
Fitzpatrick’s Move Puts Him at Odds With Trump
The move puts Fitzpatrick on a collision course with President Donald Trump and highlights growing unease among some Republicans over the new fund announced earlier this week.
The fund would draw from the Justice Department’s long-standing Judgment Fund, a permanent pot of money used to pay settlements and legal claims against the government.
The Trump administration wants to use it to settle claims from individuals who say federal agencies targeted them for political reasons.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the effort as unusual but not unprecedented. The attorney general will appoint a five-member board to review claims.
One board member would be picked in consultation with congressional leaders.
Fitzpatrick represents a suburban Philadelphia district that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
He has carved out a reputation as a swing-district Republican willing to break with Trump when he sees fit.
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He recently opposed funding for an East Wing ballroom renovation at the White House, prompting Trump to threaten a primary challenge against him.
“I 100% want to prevent this from moving forward,” he said.
His stance is notable because most Republicans have stayed quiet or are still trying to understand the details of the plan. Several top GOP leaders said they were blindsided by the announcement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted Wednesday that lawmakers “don’t know any of the details of that settlement fund.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said he first learned about it from news reports.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said he was never consulted and is now reviewing whether Congress needs to act.
In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune said the fund will face heavy scrutiny during next year’s appropriations process.
“Based on some of the blowback that’s come since this was announced, there would be a significant amount of attention paid to it,” Thune told reporters.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins pressed Blanche during a hearing on Tuesday on basic questions: How much will each claim be worth? What’s the legal standard? Will the public see the details of who gets paid?
The lack of advance notice to congressional Republicans has fueled frustration on Capitol Hill.
A source familiar with federal settlements described the fund as largely a rebranding of existing settlement processes, calling the rollout more of a political statement than a major legal shift.
Also Read: Democrats, Republicans Attack Trump’s $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund
Still, the $1.8 billion figure and the clear focus on Trump allies have raised concerns about how taxpayer money could be used.
Critics worry it could become a vehicle for rewarding political supporters without sufficient oversight, including Jan. 6 rioters.
Fitzpatrick, who is already working on legislative options, said his team is examining what role Congress can play in reining in the use of the Judgment Fund for this purpose.
Eyes on Trump as His Response Looms
Trump has not yet commented directly on Fitzpatrick’s latest opposition. But given the president’s history of targeting critics inside his own party, the Pennsylvania congressman could soon face renewed pressure.
Fitzpatrick has positioned himself as a check on what he sees as an overreach, even as it comes from his own party’s administration.
All political eyes are now focused on Trump, whether he will tolerate open defiance on one of his signature promises to fight back against perceived government abuses, or plans to hit back.
