Trump has created a slush fund of taxpayer money to give to his friends | Moira Donegan

A settlement resolves a $10bn lawsuit brought by Donald Trump in his personal capacity against the IRS over leaks of documents from his tax returns. The Justice Department will establish a fund of nearly $1.8bn to pay out to Trump allies, described as loosely controlled and secretive. The fund will be administered by commissioners appointed by the attorney general, with Trump having the power to fire them and ultimate control over the process. The fund can issue formal apologies for alleged mistreatment of conservative political actors by previous administrations. Remaining money after Trump leaves office will return to the federal government, and reporting on the fund’s work will be confidential. The agreement also requires the IRS to drop all audits of Trump and his family.

"To resolve the suit, the justice department will create a fund of nearly $1.8bn a wildly outsized figure compared with Trump's somewhat flimsily alleged injuries that can be doled out to Trump allies. The Guardian describes the fund as loosely controlled and secretive, but members of the Trump administration have not ruled out January 6 insurrectionists as possible awardees. The so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund will be administered by four commissioners appointed by Trump's attorney general and one appointed in consultation with congressional leadership Trump, who can fire the commissioners, will have ultimate control."

"It will have the authority to issue formal apologies for alleged mistreatment of conservative political actors by previous administrations ie, those few who were prosecuted or sued during the Biden era. When Trump leaves office, any remaining money will not be available for his successor to use similarly, but will instead be distributed back to the federal government. But I doubt that there will be any remaining money. We may never know either way: there is no requirement that the fund's work be made public, and required reports to the attorney general on its conduct are to be confidential."

"In addition to the creation of this massive slush fund, the agreement also requires that the IRS drop all audits of Trump and his family. It is worth stating plainly: the president sued an executive agency over which he wields de facto total control The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, said the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, which is probably news to all those who have been subject"

Read at www.theguardian.com