The Grand Illusion
The Trump administration announced last Monday the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate those who claim they were targeted by the Biden Justice Department and by Democrats. This act would forge a pipeline to funnel taxpayer money to President Trump’s allies.
The fund was created just after Trump withdrew his lawsuit demanding at least $10 billion against the Internal Revenue Service as an effort to skirt oversight by the judge on the case, who had expressed concern that the lawsuit against the IRS represented self-dealing between the president and a department run by his former defense lawyer, Todd Blanche.
Trump’s and Blanche’s moves stripped Judge Kathleen M. Williams, who had been overseeing the IRS case in the Southern District of Florida, of her appointed role in approving a formal settlement agreement. By dismissing the case in its entirety, Trump could reach an agreement with his own appointees without risking the rebuke of an impartial and independent arbiter.
Trump, his two sons and his family business, who sued the IRS together, would receive an apology but not be paid out of the new fund, officials said.
Trump and DOJ’s leadership have repeatedly accused Democrats of weaponizing federal law enforcement against their enemies, but they have failed to provide evidence of illegality, or political animus, in the two federal prosecutions of Mr. Trump or in investigations into his allies. Judge Williams had been considering dismissing Mr. Trump’s IRS suit on her own because Trump effectively controls both his personal lawyers bringing the complaint and the government lawyers who are supposed to respond to it.
In short, Trump is using Blanche to get a settlement for a lawsuit that never should have been brought and, if brought, would likely have lost, and settlement will direct $1.8 billion of taxpayer funds to whomever Trump and Blanche choose (if through a five-person board whose members Blanche effectively controls).
And to top it all off, the DOJ action blocks any IRS attempts to audit, investigate, or prosecute any tax matters involving Trump, the Trump family, or any Trump company… ever.
In terms of corruption of the legal system itself, this tops anything I’ve seen.
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton).
Words to live by.
Well, they’re words that I live by.
I’m still perplexed as to how Trump and/or the DOJ have access to all this money. In principle, they have a budget that is already in place and that’s the only monies available from which to draw funds. So, did the IRS push this $1.776B into DOJ’s bank acct.? Or create a special account and provide access to the DOJ? That all seems illegitimate and a potential weak point that could be advantaged by the Senate or House if they wish to stop this. I wouldn’t count on the courts to help at all, at all.
It’s all a scam!
There, I got to say that again.
Seriously, though, whenever Trump can add a scam in to anything he does…he does. Presidential campaign, presidency, foreign affairs (remember the “perfect” phone call with Ukraine back around 2015?), everything.
So, okay, it’s not all a scam. But there’s always a scam.
From what I’ve heard in a very angry ‘Legal eagle’ video, the settlement itself doesn’t name a specific amount. The $1.776 billion is just a number Trump has tweeted, to come from a DoJ account i.e. the DoJ budget. They worried that the lack of a specific number means those appointed by Trump/Blanche to oversee disbursement can continue to pay out even beyond the mentioned billions, as long as they can make the DoJ refill the account from their general budget.
Which just makes matters worse.
Was actually going to comment on Mr. Stone. His videos are always so very careful to be honest, accurate and legal, so he usually uses alleged a lot and points out where things stand.
His video in response to this just cut loose attacking the DoJ and Trump’s people, no alleged, no potential, just “This is a crime, period.”
When a very careful lawyer stops pulling punches that’s usually a sign.
Just checked online and the 2026 DOJ budget is 37B dollars. With all the other cuts they made perhaps they have more than enough to fund this fiasco
This is an outrage and now Trump is immune from the IRS, does anyone believe he’ll ever pay another penny of tax?