Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Donald Trump turned outspoken critic, intends to seek financial compensation from the Justice Department’s newly established “anti-weaponization fund.” The fund, valued at $1.776 billion, aims to support individuals who believe the legal system has been weaponized against them. Cohen confirmed to CBS News his plans to submit an application after completing the process independently.
The fund forms part of a settlement between President Trump and the Justice Department, designed to resolve a lawsuit concerning the leaking of Trump’s tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service. Cohen claims the legal troubles he faced share similar roots with Trump’s grievances.
Cohen mentioned, “The issues for which Trump filed the $10 billion lawsuit are the same ones affecting me. They cost me my law license, businesses, finances, family happiness, and business opportunities.”
Cohen is drafting a letter for his application. A section obtained by CBS News reads, “If the weaponization fund exists to aid those destroyed by politically motivated tactics, selective prosecution, government leaks, power abuse, and intentional reputation destruction, I am perhaps the clearest example.”
Cohen was once a trusted legal adviser for Trump and described himself as someone who would “take a bullet” for him. However, after Trump’s election victory in 2016, Cohen became a visible critic. In 2018, he was sentenced to three years in prison for campaign finance violations related to payments arranged for women alleging affairs with Trump and for lying to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow.
At his sentencing, Cohen expressed regret for his blind loyalty to Trump, saying it led him “down a path of darkness.” He acknowledged his mistakes and stated that his inability to question Trump’s demands was a weakness.
In 2024, Cohen testified in a New York case against Trump. The case resulted in Trump being convicted of falsifying business records related to payment cover-ups central to Cohen’s charges. Trump has denied any wrongdoing or having affairs with the women in question.
Cohen is among the first Trump critics to express interest in the fund. Others considering applications include Trump’s allies, like former adviser Michael Caputo, who has requested $2.7 million from the fund. Some defendants of the January 6 riot have also indicated interest in applying.
The fund has sparked debate and criticism across party lines and from ethics organizations. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington condemned it as “an unprecedented act of self-dealing.” Despite the criticisms, the Justice Department has defended the fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pointed to similar government settlement funds in the past and argued that it aims to resolve “years of weaponization.”