Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche Photo: Mark Peterson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
The Justice Department announced that it was a done deal that they are setting up a fund for President Donald Trump's allies who claim they have been "wronged" by former President Joe Biden's administration.
The decision was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The Justice Department press release reads, "There is legal precedent for such a Fund..."
That excerpt prompted The Atlantic's legal analyst, Quinta Jurecic, to comment, "This press release reads a tad defensive to me."
National security expert Marcy Wheeler pointed out that Blanche is supposed to appear before lawmakers to answer questions this week.
Some legal analysts were skeptical, but others were downright disgusted.
"Acting AG Todd Blanche directly involved," said Lawfare's Roger Parloff.
Other legal and national security analysts questioned some specifics about the new DOJ "policy."
National security lawyer Bradley P. Moss questioned whether the judge would be willing to play ball with Trump after he asked to drop the case.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say the judge overseeing Trump's IRS case is not going to just let this slide the way he is hoping," Moss wrote on BlueSky.
He later added the fund mentioned in the DOJ release to claim "precedent" is vastly different from the one that Blanche and Trump have developed.
"That fund was crafted as part of a legal settlement that required court approval and directly responded to the legal claims for damages in the lawsuit itself. Trump's slush fund has none of this," Moss wrote.
Law school professor Jon Becker half-joked, "Tired: reparations for slavery Wired: reparations for being prosecuted for committing crimes."
"A slush fund for Trump’s goon squad. Paid for with American tax dollars," said veteran reporter Jim Acosta.
"How many different ways can one president try to spend unappropriated money?" asked lawyer Joe Dudek.
Media Matters for America fellow Matthew Gertz commented, "The president is stealing tax dollars from the public treasury to pay off his criminal cronies."
Lawyer Michael Salerno added, "One has to wonder how much of this the Proud Boys et al are going to receive."
