Rand Paul

Despite their phone records having been targeted by the Biden administration, some Republican senators reportedly say they don't want payments from President Donald Trump's anti-weaponization fund.

The Trump administration's proposed $1.776 billion fund was created as part of a legal settlement tied to Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

The program is designed to compensate Americans whom the Justice Department determines were victims of political "lawfare" and government abuse under previous administrations.

Among those potentially eligible are Republican lawmakers whose phone records were secretly subpoenaed during the Biden-era "Arctic Frost" investigation into efforts surrounding the 2020 election.

Still, some GOP senators say they are not interested in accepting taxpayer-funded payouts.

"I don’t need any compensation for that," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told the Washington Examiner.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., another Republican whose records were reportedly seized, defended the idea behind the fund as a deterrent against federal abuse but said he personally "would not apply" for compensation.

The issue has created growing tension among Senate Republicans as the administration attempts to defend the fund while also advancing a broader immigration enforcement package backed by Trump.

Senate Republicans recently met with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to seek clarification about how the fund would operate and who would qualify.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged lawmakers have "very legitimate questions" about the proposal and whether safeguards are needed.

Democrats have attacked the initiative as a "slush fund" for Trump allies, though supporters argue the program is a long-overdue response to what conservatives view as years of politically motivated investigations and selective prosecutions targeting Trump supporters and Republicans.

Trump defended the program in a recent Truth Social post, saying he sacrificed a potentially massive personal settlement to establish the fund for victims of government abuse.

"I am helping others, who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration, receive, at long last, JUSTICE!" Trump wrote.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump's closest allies and another lawmaker whose records were subpoenaed, has strongly supported reparations for lawmakers targeted during the investigation.

Graham reportedly said the financial penalties should "hurt as much as I possibly can" in order to discourage future abuses of government power.

But libertarian-minded Republicans such as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., remain skeptical.

"Justice is when things occur that aren't different for you because you're in elected office," Paul told the Washington Examiner.