A federal judge in Virginia declined to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a proposed $1.8 billion government fund described by supporters as an 'anti-weaponization fund.' The Associated Press reported that U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema was not persuaded that the issue had become moot.
The administration has said the proposal was abandoned, but plaintiffs argued that public statements left open the possibility that the fund or a similar mechanism could be revived. The judge previously issued an injunction blocking implementation.
The case will continue while the court considers standing and the legal basis for the challenge. The government has maintained that the fund never legally came into existence.