Trump administration announces $1.7 billion fund for supporters who claim Biden-era persecution | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump’s administration has announced the creation of a $1.7 billion compensation fund for allies who say they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The Justice Department on Monday (May 18) unveiled an “Anti-Gun Fund” as part of a settlement tied to Trump’s decision to drop a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of his confidential tax records.
The move has already sparked an intense political backlash.
What is the “Anti-Gun Fund”?
According to the Justice Department, the new fund is intended to compensate people who believe they were improperly investigated or prosecuted for political reasons during the Biden administration.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the initiative in a public statement.
Blanche said the fund would provide: “Due process for victims of lawful conduct and gun violence to be heard and seek redress.”
Management has not yet specified:
-Who will be entitled to compensation
-How complaints will be reviewed
-How much can individual applicants get
At the same time, Trump’s legal team filed paperwork in federal court in Florida seeking to dismiss the president’s IRS lawsuit.
Why did Trump sue the IRS?
Trump filed the lawsuit earlier this year after confidential tax records related to him and the Trump Organization were leaked to the media.
The lawsuit alleged that the leak caused:
-“Damage to reputation and financial loss”
– Damage to business reputation
-Damage to Trump’s public image
Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were also named as plaintiffs.
The controversy stemmed from the actions of former IRS contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn, who pleaded guilty to leaking confidential tax records related to Trump and other wealthy Americans.
Littlejohn worked for Booz Allen Hamilton and was sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison.
Why is the fund controversial?
Critics say the compensation program could allow taxpayer money to be distributed to Trump allies under vague claims of political persecution.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, strongly condemned the plan.
“This case is nothing more than a racket designed to take $1.7 billion of taxpayer dollars out of the state coffers and pour it into a huge slush fund for Trump at the DOJ,” Raskin said.
He accused the administration of rewarding: “Insurgents, rioters and white supremacists”.
A coalition of 93 lawmakers has already filed a legal brief signaling a possible court challenge to the settlement.
How does this relate to Trump’s “weaponization” claims?
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Justice Department under Biden was politically weaponized against him and his supporters.
He pointed to several investigations and criminal cases, including those involving:
– Presidential elections in 2020
– Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago
-Investigation of riots at the Capitol on January 6
Several Trump aides and supporters were also prosecuted.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland has repeatedly denied allegations of political bias, saying the Justice Department’s decisions were based on “facts, evidence and law.”
Despite this, Trump’s current Justice Department is aggressively pursuing investigations related to alleged political targeting of Trump and his allies.
Read also | Trump Decides To Drop $10 Billion IRS Lawsuit Linked To Leaked Tax Records
