A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reveal the individuals behind the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating people who claimed they were harmed by legal actions, known as "lawfare." This comes after a request from plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking more information about the fund. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia partially granted their motion, according to a person present in court. The order requires the government to identify the people who structured the fund. The fund was created as part of a settlement agreement between former President Donald Trump, his two sons, his company, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was designed to distribute taxpayer money to individuals who said they suffered from legal actions taken against them, including those who had been convicted of violent crimes related to the January 6 Capitol riot and later pardoned by Trump. However, the fund was temporarily blocked in May after a lawsuit was filed by a former January 6 prosecutor and a law professor. The lawsuit was later joined by career IRS workers, who opposed the agreement that granted immunity from IRS audits to Trump and his family. The fund sparked criticism from both political parties, with concerns raised about the nomination of Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche later wrote that the fund was "rescinded" and that "there is no fund." However, his statement did not include the names of the original signatories, leaving the door open for the fund and the IRS immunity it provided to be reinstated in the future. This legal uncertainty has continued as Trump has not publicly denounced the fund. During a Cabinet meeting this summer, Trump said the fund "is dead, but you know, I wish it weren’t," and expressed belief that "people were horribly treated." Recently, Treniss Evans III, a January 6 defendant seeking a $1 million payout, posted a photo of himself in Blanche’s office. However, a person familiar with the matter said Evans did not meet with the attorney general. Evans was previously sentenced to 20 days in prison and three years of probation for his role in the Capitol riot. Aman George, senior counsel at Democracy Forward, a nonprofit supporting the plaintiffs, said the judge's order is a major step in investigating the fund and that the organization will continue legal efforts until the fund is permanently stopped. The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.