> Blanche should still be disbarred over this

The Justice Department said it would abide by a judge’s order Friday directing the government to temporarily halt work on the fund, such as moving money into it or considering claims, “to ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed” ahead of a mid-June hearing.

That order, from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in the Eastern District of Virginia, said nothing of substance about the lawsuit in her court that challenged the fund. Instead, Brinkema said only that the status quo should be maintained until she had more time to consider the case.

A spokeswoman said the Justice Department “disagrees strongly,” with the court’s pause on the fund, which the administration created to compensate people who believe they were targeted under past administrations for political reasons.

A White House official said the Justice Department’s statement was the first step toward dropping the fund.