Treasury General Counsel Brian Morrissey Resigns After $1.8 Billion Fund Announcement

The top lawyer at the U.S. Treasury Department resigned on Monday, hours after the Trump administration announced the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous administration. Brian Morrissey, the Treasury’s general counsel, stepped down just seven months after his Senate confirmation. The Treasury Department acknowledged his service in a statement but did not comment on the reasons for his departure.

The new “Anti-Weaponization Fund” was established by the Justice Department as part of a legal settlement. President Donald Trump agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which accused the agency of failing to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of his tax information during his first term. A judge had recently questioned whether a sitting president could legally sue a government agency under his control.

Under the terms of the settlement, the Treasury Department will deposit approximately $1.776 billion into a dedicated account. The money will be drawn from the federal Judgment Fund, which is used to pay legal settlements without requiring congressional approval. A five-member...