Trump Sets Up $1.8 Billion 'Political Persecution Compensation Fund'... Democrats Call It a "Slush Fund for Taxpayer Money"

[Financial News, New York = Reporter Lee Byung-chul]The Donald Trump administration has decided to create a special compensation fund worth about $1.8 billion. The plan is to offer apologies and payments for cases in which President Donald Trump and his supporters claim they were politically persecuted by the federal government and the judicial system.
Democrats and NGOs, however, are strongly pushing back, calling it a de facto political payout for Trump supporters. The controversy is growing, especially because large amounts of taxpayer money could be used without approval from U.S. Congress.
On the 18th local time, the Trump administration said it would establish a special fund called the Anti-Weaponization Fund. The fund will total $1.776 billion, a figure that appears to reflect 1776, the year the United States was founded.
The fund will be used to issue apologies and compensation to people who claim the federal government politically abused its judicial and governmental powers. It is scheduled to operate through December 2028.
Todd Blanche, the Acting Minister of Justice, plans to run the fund through a five-member committee. President Donald Trump will also have the authority to dismiss the committee members.
The Ministry of Justice did not specify who would be eligible for compensation, but there is speculation that many of Trump’s close aides and supporters could apply. Some observers also say people indicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on U.S. Congress could be included.
The move was announced at the same time President Donald Trump dropped a large lawsuit he had filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He had sought at least $1 billion in damages over the leak of his tax records.
The situation at the time was unusual, since the president had sued the federal government he leads.
The federal judge handling the case had questioned whether the government and Trump were truly in an adversarial relationship and had planned to hold a hearing. But once Trump withdrew the lawsuit, the trial was canceled.
President Donald Trump also agreed to drop lawsuits related to the Mar-a-Lago search and the investigation into Russian election interference. In return, the Ministry of Justice will issue an official apology to President Donald Trump, his family, and his companies. No financial compensation will be paid.
Democrats immediately criticized the move. Democratic U.S. Senator Ron Wyden called it "a shocking act of corruption even by Trump standards" and described it as "a slush fund for right-wing political forces."
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pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter