Trump Ally Mike Howell Seeks Spot on $1.7 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund Panel

A Republican lawyer and close ally of U.S. pardon attorney Ed Martin has asked the Justice Department to place him on a panel that will distribute more than $1.7 billion to people who say they were victims of legal weaponization.

Lawyer Mike Howell wrote to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday evening to declare his candidacy for one of the five member positions on the anti-weaponization fund. Blanche is responsible for appointing the members of the commission overseeing the fund, according to a memo he signed this week.

The fund was announced Monday as part of the Justice Department's settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit that President Trump filed earlier this year against the Internal Revenue Service for the leak of his tax returns.

"I have testified before the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and have appeared on national television and radio to lay out the cases of ordinary Americans targeted by federal law enforcement for their political views, their faith, and their exercise of constitutionally protected rights," Howell wrote in the application letter. He added that he has "written, sued, defended, and advocated every single day to this end" and is "not planning on stopping any time soon."

If chosen, Howell would oversee payments to people who submit claims to the fund, which the Justice Department said will operate through the end of 2028. Howell is a close ally of Martin, who advocated for Mr. Trump's pardons or commutations for more than 1,500 people charged or convicted for their role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

From outside the government, Howell ran Martin's Senate confirmation process to be U.S. attorney for D.C., a job Martin held on an interim basis but failed to secure full time. Howell, who is based in Washington, D.C., is the president of a conservative group called the Oversight Project that investigates alleged weaponization of government. He is also a visiting fellow in the border security and immigration center at the Heritage Foundation.

"The anti-weaponization fund is a historic step by President Trump and Acting Attorney General Blanche," Howell said in a statement to CBS News, adding that he is ready "to make sure it is a success."

The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Howell's letter is the first known request to the DOJ to serve on the commission. CNN first reported on Tuesday that the first request for compensation was made by Michael Caputo, a former Trump adviser and administration official. Caputo asked for $2.7 million in restitution and reimbursement, arguing he was targeted by the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The fund's announcement appears to be the latest step Mr. Trump has taken to carry out retribution for his supporters, beginning with the president's clemency for Jan. 6 defendants. There is a loose criteria outlined in the DOJ's settlement agreement for who may apply to receive some of the more than $1.7 billion, which said the commission would consider the totality of the circumstances.

The DOJ said in a press release about the fund that there are no partisan requirements to file a claim, though Capitol riot defendants and other MAGA allies are already considering applying for relief, CBS News reported this week. In his letter to Blanche, Howell said that, if selected for the panel, one of his very first actions will be organizing a national gathering of the thousands of victims of weaponization, held in Washington, D.C.

"These victims will include those who had to pay legal fees because of their support for President Trump, those who were sent to prison, including those involved with January 6th, 2021," the letter read. "At this gathering, victims will be offered the time and space to share their stories."