My Blood Is Boiling

TL;DR

Trump created a multi-billion dollar slush fund disguised as an IRS settlement to pay January 6th rioters and cronies with zero congressional oversight.

Key Points

• 1.Trump's $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund is a legally baseless slush fund. It stems from his bogus $10B IRS lawsuit over his 2020 tax return disclosure — a claim worth at most $1,000 per disclosure under statute, with a 2-year limitations period already elapsed.
• 2.The settlement has no real legal foundation and bypassed all judicial process. There was no judicial review, no factfinder, no jury — and Trump was simultaneously plaintiff and defendant, controlling both the IRS and DOJ, prompting the judge to appoint an amicus.
• 3.A Trump-appointed five-member board controls the fund with virtually no enforceable criteria or public accountability. The settlement language allows payouts to anyone under any criteria, with all distributions kept confidential and no binding reporting requirements.
• 4.The fund is widely expected to pay January 6th rioters and political allies. The host argues this amounts to rewarding convicted criminals who tried to overturn the election, and may serve as prepayment for future political violence.
• 5.Distributing these funds violates the Anti-Deficiency Act and constitutes a felony. The act requires congressional appropriation; Trump's Treasury general counsel — a Trump appointee confirmed by Republicans — resigned in protest over the settlement's illegality.