Tillis ramps up criticism of DOJ compensation fund: ‘It‘s politically tone-deaf’

Max RegoMon, May 25, 2026 at 3:26 PM UTC

20

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) took another swipe at the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, an initiative that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized in recent days.

“I call it a payout pot for punks,” Tillis said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“It makes no sense. So, it’s politically tone-deaf,” he continued, telling host Jake Tapper, “Whoever did it should be fired.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the creation of the fund a week ago, as part of a settlement in President Trump’s since-withdrawn $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.

The pot of money will “have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief” to those who successfully argue that the federal government wronged them, according to the DOJ. Trump pushed back on the criticism, calling the senator a “nitpicker.”

While the department noted that “there are no partisan requirements” to file a claim under the fund, numerous lawmakers have raised concerns that those convicted for their alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack — including those who assaulted police officers — could receive taxpayer-funded settlements.

Tillis, who is retiring at the end of the term, echoed those concerns on Sunday, telling Tapper that those “who were convicted by a jury of their peers or pled guilty to assaulting a police officer” should not receive money from the federal government.

“If you’re talking about a fund that helps a man who was arrested and lawfare used against him at a school board meeting and was found innocent, that’s fine,” he said. “Help them out. Pay them back.”

Advertisement

“In fact, I think that they should seek redress through the agency that brought the lawsuit. But this is just … horrible politics. It’s horrible timing,” the GOP lawmaker added.

House and Senate Republicans remain divided over the fund.

The move has also derailed Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) plans to advance a $72 billion immigration enforcement package through budget reconciliation, as lawmakers left town on Friday for a nine-day recess without a deal.

A closed-door meeting Thursday between GOP senators and Blanche failed to ease the concerns of the former group regarding the fund.

Tillis acknowledged on Sunday that while he has been “in a lot tougher meetings than this one,” he and his colleagues were upset at the “bogus agreement” that the administration unveiled.

“There was a very large number of people that said, ‘Look, we got to tackle affordability. We have got to have a coherent strategy in Iran. We have got to start looking at Putin as a real threat to the Western world, and this is all a distraction,’” he recalled.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Breaking”