U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley defended President Trump’s new $1.8 billion federal fund designed to compensate “victims of lawfare and weaponization” — an arrangement that has drawn outrage from Democrats and skepticism from some Republicans.
The Justice Department, led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney, announced May 18 it is planning to use taxpayer money to pay those who feel they were unfairly targeted by the federal government. That could include Jan. 6 rioters and other Trump allies who say they were wronged under Democratic administrations.
Democrats have raged against the deal as “corrupt,” calling it a “slush fund.”
But Grassley said on May 20 call with reporters that he believes “there’s a unanimous understanding that the federal government shouldn’t be weaponized against … your political enemies, whether they’re Republican or Democrat.”
Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he believes Congress will provide the necessary oversight of the fund.
“Well, first of all, don’t forget that this is subject to congressional oversight,” he said. “My Judiciary Committee has the attorney general in frequently for oversight hearings. I’m sure this is going to be a big subject of discussion with them.”
Blanche announced the fund May 18 as part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit that Trump and his family brought against the Internal Revenue Service, which he now controls as president, seeking $10 billion in damages over his leaked tax returns.
The Trump family agreed to voluntarily drop the lawsuit — meaning a federal judge won’t rule on the merits of the suit — in exchange for the creation of the fund.
It follows years of accusations from Republicans that the Biden and Obama administrations “weaponized” the Justice Department to go after Trump, his companies and his supporters.
Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, have sued Trump and his administration to block the the fund.
Grassley said it’s not clear how applicants will qualify for funds.
“Anybody that feels like they’ve been harmed can make the application and then the Justice Department will have to make those decisions,” he said. “And there’s one sure thing that can’t come out of this is that President Trump can’t benefit from it.”
Administration officials have said Trump and his family cannot receive direct payments from the fund.
But the agreement with the IRS also includes a guarantee that the tax agency will no longer pursue any claims over tax liabilities it may have against Trump, his family members and his companies.
Trump and his attorney general will also have broad control of the fund.
The attorney general will choose five commissioners to run the fund, one of them “in consultation with congressional leadership.” The president may remove any commissioner he wants, with a replacement chosen the same way the person he dismisses was chosen.
Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican, told reporters in a May 19 press call that she doesn’t know all the details of how the fund would work.
“I did hear a lot during the Biden administration from Iowans about how they saw the government being weaponized against law-abiding Americans,” she said. “I don’t want to see that continue to happen, no matter who is the president. And so I am encouraged that this is the avenue that they’re taking.”
She said she wants to ensure the fund has oversight.
“I do want to make sure there is good oversight here and I will continue to do that in my role as an appropriator over the Department of Justice,” she said.
USA TODAY reporter Joey Garrison and Des Moines Register reporter Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chuck Grassley defends Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
Reporting by Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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