BREAKING: One Republican breaks ranks and vows to kill Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund
Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick became the first member of his party to publicly vow to shut down Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, telling reporters Wednesday he “100%” wants to stop it and firing off a letter to the Justice Department demanding answers. Fitzpatrick already crossed Trump earlier this year by opposing the White House ballroom funding, a move that prompted Trump to publicly threaten to back a primary challenger against him. He apparently did not get the message, or did not care.
The more revealing story is what is happening with the rest of the Republican Party. The House Speaker said he does not know any details about the fund. The House Oversight Chair found out about it from news reports.
The House Appropriations Chair said he was not consulted, has not seen it, and does not know what it is. The acting Attorney General acknowledged in Senate testimony that the fund is “unusual.” Susan Collins pressed him for basic details about how claims will be evaluated and whether any of it will be public. He did not have clean answers.
Trump created a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to reward his political allies and his own party found out about it by reading the newspaper. The judgment fund it draws from already exists for legitimate settlements.
Critics say the entire “anti-weaponization” framing is political theater designed to funnel money to January 6 rioters, right-wing groups, and Trump’s own super PAC while giving it the appearance of legal legitimacy.