By Ken Dixon
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
(TNS)
HARTFORD — Connecticut residents who receive money from President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” could face a 100% state tax under a proposal announced Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff.
The Norwalk Democrat said he’s exploring legal avenues to recoup the full amount of any payments received, if the fund is ultimately established. He said he expects to introduce legislation when the General Assembly reconvenes in January 2027.
The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” of $1.776 billion is part of a settlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns, according to an Associated Press report. Trump’s fund would create what acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress,” the AP reported.
The proposed fund has divided Republicans in Washington, particularly over whether convicted and later pardoned Jan. 6 rioters could qualify for compensation. Two U.S. Capitol Police officers recently filed a lawsuit challenging the program.
“The Trump regime just handed $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to the same people who beat police officers and stormed the United States Capitol,” Duff said in a statement, referring to the 2021 riots. “Connecticut is not going to let a single one of our residents profit from that corruption. If you filed a claim with Trump’s slush fund and collected a check, we are going to explore every legal option available to take every penny of it back. We will not allow this state to be a safe harbor for insurrectionist windfalls.”
The Trump administration on May 18 announced the creation of the fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted, an arrangement that Democrats and government watchdogs derided as “corrupt” and unconstitutional, the AP reported.
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In response to Duff’s plan, Republican leaders of the General Assembly said majority Democrats should focus more on in-state issues such as high electric rates.
“I wish the Democrats would spend as much time trying to make Connecticut more affordable as they do going after Trump,” said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R- North Branford, noting that the majority controls the House 102-49 and the Senate 25-11. He called the status of the fund “highly speculative” at this point. “Nobody in Washington seems to be supportive. I didn’t think it would make it out of the gate. But Democrats never miss an opportunity to make political hay on something like this.”
“Pure political theater from Connecticut Democrats,” added Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield. “But what do you expect? Connecticut Democrats won’t talk about how they made your electricity bills so unaffordable. Connecticut Democrats won’t talk about how they made your property taxes and health insurance so unaffordable. Connecticut Democrats won’t talk about the jobs they are driving out. Nothing will change unless more Republicans are elected in our state.”
At least seven Connecticut residents were among more than 600 protesters who were charged in the sprawling investigation into the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, according to a CT Insider report. The U.S. Department of Justice recently acknowledged that it has deleted archived news releases related to the arrests of Jan. 6 rioters.
Duff, a frequent critic of Trump on Facebook who said he expects to succeed retiring Senate President Martin Looney of New Haven, vowed Connecticut will “fight back with every tool we have” against its residents collecting from Trump’s proposed fund.
“We are doing the legal work now so that when the 2027 session begins, we are ready to act,” Duff said.
Photo credit: Senator Bob Duff/Facebook
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© 2026 Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn. Visit www.journalinquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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