Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is facing heavy criticism after claiming that Americans "want their tax dollars spent on things like" President Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund that may go to his allies and those who participated in the January 6 insurrection.
The Justice Department said last week it was creating the fund as part of a deal in which Trump agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. But despite a press release, memo, and a newly-released settlement agreement, many details about the program remain unclear.
The agreement states that within 30 days, the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will establish its own funding structure, rules, conditions, and claim requirements. The DOJ has so far provided few specifics about who qualifies, how applications will be reviewed, or how officials arrived at the fund’s $1.776 billion price tag, besides it being a reference to the nation's 1776 founding.
The department suggested the money is intended for people allegedly targeted because of their political beliefs, and the fund is widely expected to include January 6 insurrectionists among potential recipients. Blanche previously told lawmakers that “anybody could apply,” with decisions left to a panel of commissioners that he will help appoint.
The agreement also says time spent in prison or federal custody because of alleged “lawfare and weaponization” from “any source” could factor into compensation decisions.
When asked for a response to Americans who are "upset" by the news of this fund's existence, Blanche offered the following absurd defense:
"If you're just upset, you're not getting a dime. On the other hand, I think if you said to the American taxpayer that there is a horrible wrong committed by your government and now you can apply and you can have your lawyers' fees back, you can be compensated financially, what American would say, 'Oh my gosh, that's terrible'?"
"I very much disagree with the idea that the American taxpayer is indignant about the fact that a victim of weaponization, a victim who suffered, whether it was legal fees, [they] lost a job, had their life turned upside down in a way that was not appropriate. If it was appropriate, there would be no compensation."
“I do not think the American people have issues with that. To the contrary, I think they do want their tax dollars spent on things like that.”
You can hear what Blanche said in the video below.
Blanche also dismissed concerns that insurrectionists convicted for their part in the 2021 Capitol riot would take advantage of the fund.
The attack left at least five people dead and resulted in over 100 injuries to law enforcement as well as millions of dollars in damages after insurrectionists stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden's decisive electoral victory.
Upon taking office last year, Trump granted clemency to all 1,500+ individuals charged in the insurrection, upending what had been the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing individuals captured on camera brutally assaulting police officers as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting violent efforts to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the administration and its surrogates have attempted to paint the attack as a peaceful gathering of law-abiding citizens—and Blanche brushed aside suggestions that people convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers should automatically be barred from receiving money from the fund.
He said:
“To be clear, people that hurt police get money all the time. It’s abhorrent to ever, ever touch a law enforcement officer, which is why anytime anybody does that and it’s a federal officer, we’ll prosecute them. But that’s a completely different question, with whether an individual is allowed to apply for a claim.”
Nonetheless, former Capitol Police Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges— both of whom helped defend the U.S. Capitol during the attack—have already filed a lawsuit in Washington seeking to block the creation and funding of the program.
The possibility that those who attacked the nation's seat of government could be compensated using Americans' tax dollars is in fact very unpopular, and Blanche was swiftly called out for suggesting it isn't a point of contention.
Blanche's defense of the fund has been scorned by Democrats and has thus far not swayed Republicans.
His trip to Capitol Hill on Thursday—the day after his CNN interview—proved fruitless, with senators reportedly emerging from the meeting frustrated and largely unwilling to speak publicly.
Lawmakers later scrapped plans for a vote and instead began their Memorial Day recess early, a move that could make it even harder for Republicans to pass party-line legislation in the weeks ahead, particularly as Trump continues to clash with incumbent senators and with the midterms on the horizon.
One idea Republicans reportedly floated to narrow the settlement fund would have prevented January 6 defendants convicted of assaulting police officers from collecting payouts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he was "not a big fan" and did not see "a purpose" for the fund.
