#slush-fund
9 entries with this tag
Two of Trump's Own Republican Senators Are Blocking His Personal Criminal-Defense Lawyer From Becoming Attorney General Until He Promises Not to Build a $1.8 Billion Fund to Pay January 6 Rioters — So Trump Vowed to Keep Him as Unconfirmed Acting AG Indefinitely and Force the Fund Through Congress Anyway
Todd Blanche — Trump's former personal criminal-defense attorney, acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April, and the lawyer a federal judge referred for bar discipline over the sham IRS settlement — cannot get confirmed as permanent attorney general, and it is Republicans stopping him. Two GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, are withholding their votes until they get written assurance that the Justice Department will not resurrect the "anti-weaponization fund": a $1.8 billion program to compensate people who claim the government was "weaponized" against them — built, in practice, to pay January 6 rioters Trump pardoned. That is the same fund a federal judge voided in July as an illegal product of a collusive lawsuit, and that DOJ had said it was abandoning. Rather than give the assurance, Trump escalated. On August 1 he posted that if "Senators Cornyn and Tillis … aren't going to approve Todd Blanche … then I will keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill … PASSED." In other words: confirm my lawyer and let me pay the rioters, or I keep my lawyer running the Justice Department without confirmation and try to pay the rioters through Congress instead. Tillis said flatly that Blanche will not be confirmed as things stand. The standoff is a rare moment of Republican resistance — and a window into just how far the corruption had to go before even Trump's own party balked.
A Judge Voided the Sham Lawsuit Trump Filed Against His Own IRS to Launder Himself Tax Immunity and a $1.776 Billion "Anti-Weaponization" Slush Fund for His Allies — Finding "Bad Faith," No Real Case, and Referring Acting AG Todd Blanche for Discipline Two Days Before His Confirmation Hearing for the Permanent Job
On July 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams (an Obama appointee in the Southern District of Florida) issued a scathing 56-page order voiding the settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS and referring his lawyers — including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — for disciplinary action. The backstory: in January, Trump and his two eldest sons sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns. In May, "both sides" settled — except both sides were Trump. As president he controlled the IRS he was suing. The settlement created a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund" to pay Trump allies (premised on January 6 and classified-documents claims) and, via a memo Blanche signed and quietly added to the DOJ announcement, granted Trump, his family, and his businesses sweeping immunity from IRS audits and other federal claims for past conduct. Nearly three dozen former federal judges from both parties — including Bush appointee J. Michael Luttig — intervened, calling it "the product of collusion" and "a fraud on the court." Williams agreed: "there was never adverseness between the Parties; there was never a case or controversy; and there was never a question as to who would prevail." She found Trump and his sons "acted in bad faith," said the tax-amnesty order "directly contravenes" the federal law barring presidents from influencing audits, and noted the $1.776 billion figure "speaks of a 'branding' effort rather than a deliberate and thoughtful calculation of damages." She was "extremely troubled" by Blanche's congressional testimony, calling one answer "at best, misleading and, at worst, disingenuous." She referred Blanche and Associate AG Stanley Woodward to the New York and D.C. bars (where disciplinary proceedings are already underway), referred private attorney Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar, limited attorney Daniel Epstein's practice, voided the agreement so it can never be cited in any proceeding, and ordered sanctions. She closed by quoting John Adams: "Facts are stubborn things." The ruling landed two days before Blanche's Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing to become permanent attorney general.
Kash Patel — Who Spent Years Attacking the Old FBI Director for Using a Jet — Now Has Two Government Jets, Wants an $80 Million Third, Bought Armored BMWs Instead of Suburbans, Put a $1M/Year SWAT Detail on His Country-Singer Girlfriend, and Demanded Snorkeling and Jet-Ski Perks — Until a Republican Who Defended Him Turned
FBI Director Kash Patel — who for years publicly attacked his predecessor Christopher Wray for using a government jet ("Chris Wray doesn't need a government-funded GV jet to go to vacation") — is now under bipartisan scrutiny for exactly that and more. The turning point: Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican who had previously defended Patel, sent him a letter demanding proof he reimbursed the FBI for personal flights and an explanation of "why you decided to purchase BMW vehicles instead of Chevy Suburbans," calling for an "independent and objective review." Reporting and whistleblower accounts describe: FBI Gulfstream flights for "date nights" with his girlfriend, sporting events, a hunting retreat, and a George Strait/Chris Stapleton concert watched from a private suite estimated at $35,000–$50,000; a trip to Italy to watch U.S. hockey win gold (he chugged a beer in the locker room); a taxpayer-funded helicopter tour across East Asia and jet-ski excursions; a "VIP snorkeling experience" in Hawaii near the sunken USS Arizona; four FBI SWAT agents and two SUVs assigned to protect his country-singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins in Nashville — an estimated ~$1 million a year before overtime; a fleet of armored BMWs replacing the standard Chevy Suburbans; and the bureau now seeking a new $80 million jet, after Patel was caught on camera bragging he "has two." Reps. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin, citing whistleblowers, said Patel demoted personnel in Brussels for failing to keep him entertained and that his conduct is "out of control" and "not the conduct of a committed and faithful public servant." One source quoted him telling field offices: "If you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting and beautiful sights, you're going to see a lot of me." Patel says FBI directors are "required users of the FBI plane" and that he is "entitled to a personal life"; the FBI says he "reimbursed ALL personal travel." All of it lands as Patel asks Congress for a $12 billion FBI budget.
Federal Judge Halts Trump's $1.776B "Anti-Weaponization Fund" — No Money Can Move While Lawsuits Proceed
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema blocked the DOJ from transferring money to, reviewing claims for, or disbursing payments from the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund — freezing it entirely while lawsuits proceed. The ruling came in a suit filed by former Jan. 6 prosecutor Andrew Floyd and others, represented by Democracy Forward. Three separate lawsuits now challenge the fund. A coalition of 35 former federal judges urged a separate court to reopen the original IRS settlement and examine whether it was fraud. Hearing set for June 12.
Joe Rogan — Who Endorsed Trump — Compares Him to Uday Hussein Over the $1.776B Slush Fund: "This Is Crazy"
Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump in 2024 and helped propel him to victory, read the details of the $1.776B Anti-Weaponization Fund live on his podcast and was stunned. On the permanent tax immunity: "That is so crazy." He compared it to getting acquitted of murder and then demanding immunity from all future murder prosecutions — "and then you just go straight Uday Hussein." Mitch McConnell called it "a slush fund to pay people who assault cops — utterly stupid, morally wrong."
Trump's $1.776B Slush Fund Blows Up His Own Agenda: Republican Revolt Derails Immigration Bill
Senate Republicans revolted against Trump's $1.776B "Anti-Weaponization Fund," forcing leaders to delay the $72B immigration enforcement bill past Trump's own June 1 deadline. A two-hour meeting with acting AG Todd Blanche — described as a "shitshow" — failed to calm the rebellion. Sen. Tillis called the fund "a payout pot for punks." Sen. Johnson called it "a galactic blunder." Trump's slush fund to pay Jan. 6 rioters just torpedoed his top legislative priority.
The $1.776B Slush Fund Is Built on a Lawsuit That Was Filed Too Late — And Video Proves Trump Knew
Video evidence shows Trump's own lawyer Alina Habba was in federal court in October 2023 condemning the IRS leak on Trump's behalf — but Trump's lawsuit claims he didn't learn about it until January 2024. The two-year statute of limitations ran from when he knew, not when the IRS sent a letter. He filed in January 2026 — months too late. A leaked IRS memo confirmed the suit was time-barred. The DOJ settled it anyway, creating the $1.776B fund, two days before a judge was set to rule on whether the case could even proceed.
Jan. 6 Officers Who Were Beaten by Rioters Sue to Block $1.776B Fund That Would Pay Their Attackers
Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and DC officer Daniel Hodges — both beaten defending the Capitol on Jan. 6 — filed a federal lawsuit to block Trump's $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." They call it an illegal slush fund to reward insurrectionists, citing the 14th Amendment's ban on paying debts incurred in aid of rebellion. The same pardoned rioters who attacked them could now be paid with taxpayer money — from a fund with no congressional authorization, no transparency, and no statutory basis.
Trump Drops His IRS Lawsuit, Creates $1.776B "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to Reimburse Jan. 6 Rioters With Taxpayer Money
Trump's DOJ officially established the $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" — taxpayer money to reimburse MAGA allies including Jan. 6 rioters. In exchange, Trump dropped his $10 billion IRS lawsuit over the Mar-a-Lago raid. The president settled a lawsuit with himself to create a slush fund he controls. A House Democrat: "the largest single act of grand larceny in American history."