Trump administration unveils $1.7bn fund to compensate his allies as he drops tax lawsuit

"The machinery of government should never be weaponised against any American, and it is this Department's intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again."

— Todd Blanche , Politician

"It was a slush fund for Trump's private militia of insurrectionists, rioters, and white supremacists."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"This is pure fraud and highway robbery."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"This is pure fraud and highway robbery. No one can be both plaintiff and defendant in the same case."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"House Democrats are taking a stand for the American taxpayers that would be forced to foot the bill for this mess."

— Joe Neguse , Politician

"If the creation of the fund is allowed to move forward, it would be the most brazen theft and abuse of taxpayer dollars by any president in American history."

— Ron Wyden , Politician

"This, of course, is a political grievance fund that Donald Trump can use to pay off his friends."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"Donald Trump wants to settle his joke lawsuit against his own IRS department to hand out $1.7 BILLION of OUR TAX DOLLARS to Jan. 6th insurrectionists and his cronies."

— Gavin Newsom , Politician

"It is an outrage that the American taxpayers are having to pay for this and that we have a president who is exercising such open corruption in front of everyone."

— Pramila Jayapal , Politician

"a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress."

— Todd Blanche , Politician

"This case is nothing but a racket designed to take $1.7 billion of taxpayer dollars out of the Treasury and pour it into a huge slush fund for Trump at DOJ to hand out to his private militia of insurrectionists, rioters, and white supremacists."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"Only Congress has the power to appropriate money, and Congress never voted on creating this $1.7 billion political slush fund at the Department of Justice, and Congress would never pass that."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again."

— Todd Blanche , Politician

"This is one of the single most corrupt acts in American history."

— Donald Sherman , Activist

"This case is nothing but a racket designed to take $1.7 billion of taxpayer dollars out of the Treasury and pour it into a huge slush fund for Trump at DOJ to hand out to his private militia of insurrectionists, rioters, and white supremacists."

— Jamie Raskin , Politician

"Even by his standards the move he’s trying to get away with now is a stunning act of corruption."

— Ron Wyden , Politician