Anti-weaponization fund is gone, but memo protecting Trump and family empire remains
WASHINGTON, DC: Although acting Attorney General Todd Blanche killed an anti-weaponization fund, clearing his way to the post of Attorney General in the Trump administration, he has left a provision intact to protect the President’s family from any investigation.
The provision is an order offering broad immunity to him, his adult children, and their business for past conduct.
Immunity order can help Trump avoid $100 million tax
The immunity order in question was signed the day after the creation of the fund and can help Donald Trump to save as much as $100 million in tax.
The May 19 immunity memo has other significant benefits for the Trump family.
Under that memo, the federal government is “barred and forever precluded” from any investigation, review, or prosecution of any action by Trump or the business empire he runs with his children.
Blanche drops fund, but legal trouble remains
Todd Blanche on Sunday killed the anti-weaponization fund, fulfilling the demand of GOP holdouts to clear the path to the position of AG, who had asked the Trump administration to drop the fund and give it in writing in exchange for their backing for Blanche.
While dismissal of the fund addresses the political obstacle blocking his nomination, it does not completely end the legal controversy surrounding the fund.
The agreement requiring the Justice Department to establish the fund has not been amended or terminated by all parties involved. Under the settlement's terms, changes generally require written approval from Trump and the other signatories, something Sunday's order did not include.
That unresolved question means the political fight may have eased while the legal dispute remains unfinished.
Democrat leader brought bill to block memo
Rep Jamie Raskin (Md), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, earlier this year introduced a bill to block the memo from taking effect, calling it “the mother of all sweetheart deals.”
“This is a super-pardon for the ages. It shields all the Trumps and their businesses not only from enforcement of any taxes they may have dodged, or enforcement of any fines or payments they may owe to the government, but from ‘any and all’ consequences for violating any federal criminal or civil law.
“This means that Trump and his family get an unlimited number of ‘get out of jail free cards’ for any civil or criminal violations that could be investigated and prosecuted by the federal government,” Raskin said at the time.
