Anti-Abortion Extremists Could Get Taxpayer-Funded Payouts Under Trump's New Fund
Briefly

Anti-Abortion Extremists Could Get Taxpayer-Funded Payouts Under Trump's New Fund
A $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund would use taxpayer money to compensate allies and supporters described as facing unfair treatment from the Justice Department. The fund invites anti-abortion extremists prosecuted during the Biden administration to file claims, including people convicted of invading and blockading abortion clinics to temporarily shut them down. Trump has characterized the group as peaceful protesters, but the described conduct includes barricading clinic doors with locks and chains, physically blocking entrances, stealing fetal tissue, shoving clinic workers, and preventing patients from accessing medical care. Many were prosecuted under the FACE Act, which makes blocking access to reproductive healthcare facilities a federal crime. Trump previously pardoned nearly two dozen FACE Act convictions, and the fund could enable additional taxpayer-funded payouts.
"The of the Anti-Weaponization Fund specifically invites anti-abortion extremists prosecuted during the Biden administration to file claims-including those convicted of invading and blockading abortion clinics to temporarily shut them down. Trump has repeatedly described this crowd as "peaceful protesters." But in reality, these are criminals who barricaded clinic doors with bicycle locks and chains, physically blocked entrances, stole fetal tissue, shoved clinic workers, and prevented patients from accessing medical care."
"Many of them were prosecuted under the FACE Act-short for the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act-a 1994 law making it a federal crime to block access to reproductive healthcare facilities or houses of worship. Last year, Trump pardoned nearly two dozen people convicted under the law. And now they may be eligible for taxpayer-funded compensation."
"So to recap: some of these activists should still be sitting in prison. Instead, they're now in line for massive payouts from the very government whose laws they broke in the first place. And the money on the table is staggering. Even if every eligible January 6 rioter and anti-abortion activist submitted a claim, recipients could theoretically walk away with million-dollar payouts."
"Abortion-rights advocates say the message is chilling. At a time when threats and violence targeting abortion providers continue rising nationwide, critics"
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