Filed Date: May 28, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
[This summary is temporary while we research the case]. On May 28, 2026, the plaintiff, a former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee and co-founder of the "Mueller, She Wrote" podcast, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Anti-Weaponization Fund, and the United States of America. The plaintiff alleged that she was investigated by the VA in August 2019 because of her public criticism of President Trump through her podcast, and she was later terminated from her position. As such, she believed that she was subject to government "weaponization" during the first Trump term, and that she may be eligible to file a claim with the newly established Anti-Weaponization Fund.
The Fund was created pursuant to a May 18, 2026 settlement agreement, resolving a federal lawsuit filed by President Trump and others on January 29, 2026, as well as two administrative claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Under that settlement, the Attorney General issued a Fund Establishment Order allocating $1,776,000,000 to the Fund, which was to be administered by a five-member commission appointed by the Attorney General, with members removable by the President, and was authorized to provide monetary relief and formal apologies to claimants alleging government "lawfare" and "weaponization."
The plaintiff asserted a single claim under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), alleging that the defendants established the Fund without publishing notice in the Federal Register or providing an opportunity for public comment as required by 5 U.S.C. § 553, thereby depriving her of the ability to comment on the Fund's definitions, eligibility criteria, and other matters affecting her financial and due process interests. She sought declaratory relief, vacatur of the Fund Establishment Order and DOJ Notice, temporary and permanent injunctive relief, attorneys' fees, and costs.
Summary Authors
(6/7/2026)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73408559/parties/gill-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
Bencivengo, Cathy Ann (California)
Hutchison, Kimberly Sue (California)
Joshi, Nandan M. (California)
Zieve, Allison Marcy (California)
CV, U S (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73408559/gill-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
Last updated June 30, 2026, 3:16 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Public Benefits/Government Services
Presidential/Gubernatorial Authority
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: May 28, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
A former Department of Veterans Affairs employee and political podcaster
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Federal
Anti-Weaponization Fund
United States Department of Justice
United States of America
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Other Dockets:
Southern District of California 3:26-cv-03283
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Discrimination Area:
Content/viewpoint discrimination
General/Misc.:
Case Summary of Gill v. United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48202/ (last updated 6/7/2026).