This came out of The Logoff, the daily newsletter that keeps you in the loop on the Trump admin without letting the politics choke you. You can subscribe if you want.
The Deal
Welcome back. It seems Donald Trump has found another clever way to funnel taxpayer dollars into his own pocket. Or at least into pockets he controls.
Earlier this year Trump. Along with his kids. And his business family. Sued the IRS. They wanted ten billion dollars because the IRS leaked his tax returns to the press. A bold move. A chaotic one.
Now? They might just drop it. According to ABC News. He wants to kill the case in exchange for a new fund. One worth one point seven billion dollars. A fund he gets to run. Through a commission he appoints. To hand out cash to his allies.
How It Works
It is called a “weaponization” fund. Sounds aggressive. Because it is. ABC says it would pay people who believe the Biden administration targeted them unfairly. This includes folks prosecuted over January 6. People who attacked the Capitol. Now they might get paid off by the federal government. Irony is dead.
Trump himself probably won’t take from this pot. The report says he can’t make a claim. But here is the kicker. Entities linked to him? Not explicitly banned. That leaves a back door wide open. Just wide enough to sneak a suit through.
Why Do It Now
The settlement might close in days. It feels like a loophole. A legal end-run around the courts.
The judges are skeptical. Look at it logically. Trump is the plaintiff. He is also the head of the DOJ. Which defends the defendant. They aren’t fighting each other. They are fighting ghosts.
The NYT noted earlier that the judge thinks the case might be moot. Since Trump runs both sides of the argument. There is no real opposition. They had briefs due Wednesday. A settlement lets them skip the embarrassment. It lets the judge avoid ruling on the absurdity. Everyone wins. Except the idea of due process.
The Bigger Picture
What does Trump II actually want? Two things mostly.
- Get revenge for perceived slights.
- Enrich himself and his circle.
This fund does both at once. It punishes his enemies by rewarding them? No. It rewards his enemies. His enemies. The people who hated him? They get hurt. His allies get paid.
He wins. They win. The IRS just loses one point seven billion bucks.
It accomplishes both goals in one swoop.
Pretty efficient. In a horrifying kind of way.
Log Off
The newsletter wraps up there. Unbeknownst to us all Eurovision is back. Europe’s most chaotic song contest. It’s in the finals tomorrow at 3 PM ET. If you need to distract yourself from the fact that your president might be running a slush fund NPR has a catch-up guide.
It is a nice thought. Music. Melody. Drama without consequences.
Have a good weekend. We’ll be back Monday. To see if the fund materializes. Or if it all dissolves into more litigation. Who knows really?
