Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim at President Donald Trump on Monday after his administration announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate people who claim they were wrongly targeted by federal investigations. She said the move goes beyond Trump's pardons of supporters convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
"Trump didn't just pardon his followers who stormed the U.S. Capitol," Clinton wrote on X. "He's now set them up for payments through a slush fund he created to reward his allies—out of your tax dollars. You could not make this up."
The post followed a Justice Department announcement on Monday creating the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" as part of a settlement resolving a $10 billion lawsuit Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization filed against the IRS over the leak of Trump's tax returns.
Under the deal, Trump and the Trump Organization receive a formal apology but no direct cash payment. The fund is intended for people who argue they were unfairly prosecuted or targeted by what the administration calls "lawfare." The Associated Press reported that the Justice Department did not name likely beneficiaries, said there were no "partisan requirements," and said people could seek money or an apology.
Clinton's criticism echoed objections from Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), who described the fund as a "slush fund" for Trump allies.
AP reported that more than 90 House Democrats filed an urgent amicus brief in federal court in Florida seeking to block the fund. They argued the administration cannot create such a program without Congress, which controls federal spending.
As per a Politico report, Trump told reporters he "wasn't involved in" creating the fund, though he said it had been "well received." When reporters asked how officials would administer the fund and whether Trump or his family would seek compensation, Trump said a committee of "very talented people" would make the decisions.
The clash deepens the fight over Trump's claim that the justice system targeted him unfairly. Democrats say Trump is now using that claim to steer public money toward his political supporters.
