Hard to believe even Trump could be so despicable.
He’s used junk lawsuits to shake down big media companies for millions in “settlements” that amount to bribes. But now, get this: he’s demanding the U.S. Justice Department pay him $230 MILLION, in “compensation” for its previous investigations of his crimes, including classified document thefts. Despite clear guilt, he got off only because he became president. (The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling might not even have applied there; but the DoJ has a (non-constitutional) policy against prosecuting a sitting president.)
So he wants a payoff to himself from his own government. And what DoJ officials will settle that claim? Toadies appointed by him, some the very lawyers who’ve represented him. Who can’t say no to him. Moreover, he openly declared he himself will have “the last word” on what the government pays! Said it like it’s funny. Ha ha.
You might think Congressional Republicans would balk at this. Ha ha.
Trump claims those investigations harmed him. Hard to see how. Donors paid his legal costs. The cases may perversely have helped get him votes from his cult worshipers. The real miscarriage of justice was Attorney General Garland, scared of his shadow, waiting too long to act on Trump’s crimes, including January 6, enabling him to escape accountability. And anyway, since when does the subject of a criminal investigation get to sue the investigators?
Trump suggests he may donate the money to charity. May. New York State previously shut down his “charitable foundation” because it was found to be a fraud.
Meantime he’s also been openly selling pardons for cash bribes. Why not just bribe himself for a pardon?
As to the $230 million, could there be a more brazen case of self-dealing? Taxpayer money funneled straight into his own pocket. Picking the public’s pocket; making the U.S. Treasury itself his piggy-bank. And “piggy” is surely the right word.
