Republican Congressman Engaged to Fox News Star Vows to ‘Kill’ Weaponization Fund Hours After Trump Attacked Him

LEFT: Brian Fitzpatrick (Screenshot) RIGHT: Donald Trump (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a moderate engaged to Fox News anchor and senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, vowed to do what he could to “kill” the newly-established “Anti-Weaponization fund” being operated by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department on Wednesday.

The $1.776 billion fund was established via a settlement Trump reached with the IRS to end his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency, and is designed to “provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare,” according to a DOJ press release asserting that the “Fund will have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants.”

Asked about the news on Wednesday, Fitzpatrick called it “bad news” and said, “We’re gonna try to kill it.”

Asked how he might do that, Fitzpatrick replied, “Well, we’re considering legislative options. We’re going to write a letter to the AG to start, but we’re considering a legislative option. We’re trying to unpack exactly, you know, what the legal machinations are. But can’t do that.”

He also said that a legislative remedy would also address the settlement provision shielding Trump, his family members, and his companies from further action by the IRS.

Fitzpatrick shed further light on the issue during a subsequent conversation with MeidasTouch’s Scott MacFarlane:

MacFARLANE: How do you kill this thing off?

FITZPATRICK: Well, that’s what we just talked about here. So we have to figure out what’s the source of the funding, right? Is it an appropriation from last year? Is it two years ago? Where did the money come from? And what limitations were put around that money? Are there constitutional questions? Are they statutory questions? You know, what falls within Article I authority? This is all the things we’re trying to unpack now.

MacFARLANE: With a narrow margin, you hold a pretty pivotal vote on everything.

FITZPATRICK: Everybody’s vote’s pivotal. We all get one vote.

MacFARLANE: You think this is something your constituents would want you to fight for?

FITZPATRICK: Oh, 100%, yeah. Listen, I think constituents across America want the same things for the most part. We’re trying to restore trust in the institution. That’s why I, you know, partner with everyone from Tim Burchett to AOC on banning members of Congress from trading stocks. We’re trying to take steps, you know, any gerrymandering, we’re trying take steps to, you know, bridge the divide between the public and the institution, and things like this just go backwards, you know?

So that’s why step one is we have to, all of us —  journalists, members of Congress — we have to unpack what exactly it is. Right now we just have a top line of, you know, some soundbites. We don’t know what the source of the funding is, what the legal authority it’s based on is, is there a precedent, if there isn’t why not? What falls within the courts’ jurisdiction in terms of constitutional review. This is what we’re trying to get our arms around. But step one is a letter to-, stating our position to the acting attorney general.

MacFARLANE: Who else’ll be on it with you?

FITZPATRICK:  I don’t know, but we’re doing that right now. And my staff is working on legislation, we’ll work with legislative counsel to figure out what, and this is why we got to get to the source of the funding, right? To know what our jurisdiction is and how we can respond to it.

Fitzpatrick’s comments came after Trump upbraided Heinrich over Fitzpatrick’s voting record earlier that day.

“Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine?” mused Trump while taking questions Wednesday morning. “I don’t know what’s with him. You better ask him what’s with him. Her husband, she’s married to a certain congressman and he votes again-, he likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that — doesn’t work out well. I don’t know why he does but…”

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