Trump ally Michael Caputo seeks $2.7M from new DOJ fund: ‘They found nothing, we lost everything’
FIRST ON CNN: Longtime advisor and former Trump admin official Michael Caputo files first known claim to the controversial $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." I joined @jaketapper with more: pic.twitter.com/4DrCyshF82
— Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCNN) May 19, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Longtime President Trump ally Michael Caputo became the first known person to seek money from the Justice Department’s new ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, filing a $2.7 million restitution claim and arguing that “the machinery of government was clearly politically weaponized against my family from July 2016 to December 2025.”
Caputo’s filing came just one day after the Justice Department established the nearly $1.8 billion fund tied to claims of political targeting. The move immediately intensified scrutiny over whether Trump allies could benefit from the program, even as Vice President JD Vance insisted “anybody can apply” and said Hunter Biden would also be welcome to seek restitution.
Caputo says probes ruined family
Caputo, who served as a spokesperson at the Department of Health and Human Services during Presidents Donald Trump's first term, said he was targeted during “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russian interference efforts during the 2016 election.
In a letter addressed to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and later posted on X, Caputo wrote, “They found nothing; we lost everything.”
Caputo also said he faced another investigation in 2021 connected to his ‘One America News’ documentary about former President Joe Biden and Ukraine. An intelligence assessment declassified in 2021 appeared to reference the documentary, titled “The Ukraine Hoax: Impeachment, Biden Cash, and Mass Murder with guest host Michael Caputo.”
Caputo confirmed the authenticity of the letter to NBC News.
Vance defends controversial fund
The Justice Department created the fund Monday, May 18, after Trump moved to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns.
Trump said he had “no involvement” in establishing the fund and described it as a way to reimburse people who were “horribly treated.”
As criticism mounted over who could qualify for payouts, Vice President JD Vance defended the program during Tuesday’s White House press briefing.
“Anybody can apply for it,” Vance said. “Republicans can apply for it. Democrats can apply for it.”
He added, “If Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.”
When pressed about whether people charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol could benefit, Vance said the administration was “not trying to give money to anyone who attacked a police officer”.
“We do have people who were accused of attacking law enforcement officers,” he said. “We’re going to evaluate these things on a case-by-case basis.”
Critics raise concerns over payouts
Critics have sharply criticized the new restitution program, describing it as a potential “slush fund” that could be used to “reward allies, including the nearly 1,600 defendants convicted or charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol”.
Trump declined to answer questions Monday about whether he or members of his family would seek compensation from the fund.
Vance later told reporters that the Trump family would not apply.
Blanche told senators Tuesday that payments from the fund would ultimately be decided by a five-member commission, with four members selected by the attorney general and one chosen in consultation with Congress.
The controversy arrives as Caputo’s claim becomes the first public test of how the new fund could operate and who may ultimately benefit from it.
