Longtime Trump ally Michael Caputo files first known ‘anti-weaponization’ fund claim
Caputo seeks $2.7 million after saying the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe caused years of political targeting.
- On Tuesday, former Trump administration official Michael Caputo filed the first known claim under the Justice Department's new $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, seeking $2.7 million in restitution and reimbursement.
- The Justice Department established the fund following President Donald Trump's decision to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, with the Treasury required to pay $1.776 billion within 60 days.
- Caputo alleges he was targeted by the FBI's 2016 "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation into Trump campaign coordination with Russia, claiming the probe "politically weaponized" government machinery against his family and drained their savings.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche oversees the five-member commission deciding payouts, though critics characterize the fund as a "slush fund" and Representative Joe Neguse called the agreement "unconstitutional."
- Legal experts question the precedent of a sitting president creating a fund to pay damages to himself or allies, and while Vice President JD Vance suggested "anybody can apply," questions remain about future oversight and eligibility guidelines.
16 Articles
16 Articles
WNY native Michael Caputo files first known "anti-weaponization" fund request
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A Western New York native made the first known request for compensation from the $1.7 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. That person is East Aurora native, political strategist and former adviser to President Donald Trump -- Michael Caputo. President Trump and the Justice Department settled the president's lawsuit against the IRS and the [...]
Former Trump Official Files First Known ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund Claim
A former Trump administration official and campaign aide, Michael Caputo, said Wednesday that he is filing a claim under the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recently created “anti-weaponization” fund, becoming the first person to publicly use the fund. “The machinery of government was clearly politically weaponized against my family from July 2016 to December 2025,” Caputo wrote in a post on X, confirming he filed for compensation under the recent…
Longtime Trump ally Michael Caputo files first known ‘anti-weaponization’ fund claim
Michael Caputo, a longtime ally of President Trump who worked in his first administration, became the first known person to seek compensation from the Justice Department’s (DOJ) newly created “anti-weaponization” fund on Tuesday. The former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson is requesting $2.7 million in restitution over claims that he and his…
Ex-Trump admin official Michael Caputo first to apply for $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’
Michael Caputo, a former official of the first Trump administration, filed the first known claim under the Justice Department’s new $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Caputo seeks $2.7 million in restitution, according to a letter to the Justice Department that Caputo posted on X. He says he was targeted during “Crossfire Hurricane,” an FBI investigation into...
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