# Is there a remedy for Trump's $1.8B slush fund? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 20, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244 "2026-05-20T14:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/1 "2026-05-20T14:44:40Z")
Is the $1.8B slush fund set in stone? Obviously Congress will actually do nothing, but is there any theoretical way Congress could regulate or eliminate it? Is there any remedy in the courts? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/2 "2026-05-20T14:49:30Z")
I, too, await knowledgeable responses to this. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/4 "2026-05-20T15:00:06Z")
Isn’t it being challenged in court? If so, can a judge block it (which, presumably, would set up an ultimate determination by the corrupt SCOTUS)? ---
**Author:** ![JoePockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JoePockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoePockets)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/6 "2026-05-20T15:10:17Z")
This says in billboard optics that the TRUMP family is above all laws just because he is the President? And the most corrupt part is Blanch permanently dropped all investigations into trumps taxes, his family’s taxes and all of their businesses taxes.This is the biggest scam is the history of the USA!…Mean while I just paid $85 to top off Terrain! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/7 "2026-05-20T15:11:07Z")
It’s weird that Congress doesn’t take umbrage at paying a bunch of terrorists who wanted to kill them. Just how tasty is trump’s asshole, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/8 "2026-05-20T15:23:58Z")
Wow. All this time that we’ve (Americans) had things set up to rely on the honor system is really coming back to kick us in the teeth. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/9 "2026-05-20T15:28:05Z")
A post was split to a new topic: [Tilteddriveway posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tilteddriveway-posts/1030246) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/10 "2026-05-20T15:26:58Z")
Need a few minutes to remove a Trock. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/11 "2026-05-20T15:40:53Z")
This topic was automatically opened after 9 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/12 "2026-05-20T15:41:27Z")
How about the next administration? I assume that the next AG can simply take the order to never audit anyone connected to Trump and change “never” to “always”. Similarly, we can audit this slush fund with a fine-tooth comb. But since it seems to have been more or less explicitly designated as money used to reward criminals for their loyalty to the mob boss, will it be hard to order that the money be returned and those who accepted it be prosecuted even if the money _was_ used for that purpose, since the underlying purpose was itself criminal? (I realize actually enforcing such an order would be problematic, but would there be legal obstacles to even trying?) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/13 "2026-05-20T17:42:13Z")
Who knows if this will lead anywhere, but it’s something. > **[January 6 police officers sue Trump over $1.8bn fund, alleging ‘presidential...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/20/jan-6-police-sue-trump-anti-weaponization-fund?CMP=share_btn_url)** > > Retired Capitol police officer and DC officer allege Trump’s $1.8bn fund unlawfully rewards January 6 rioters and allies ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/14 "2026-05-20T18:11:32Z")
I think Jamie Raskin is fighting this too. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/15 "2026-05-20T18:18:25Z")
Let’s set out a few basic facts, and I can answer broadly below. Congress controls all the Gov’t money. It appropriates it to Executive branches, including DOJ. When DOJ needs to settle a civil suit against the Gov’t, instead of Congress voting to appropriate the new money required to pay off lawsuit settlement, which would be tedious, Congress instead created a fund called the “Judgment Fund” for DOJ to use (and is administered by DOT). Now, when the DOJ settles a suit it doesn’t need to go to Congress and ask for the money; it just submits a claim to DOT to get the money out of the Judgment Fund. Here, Trump sued the IRS (Gov) and the case was settled for $1.8b by DOJ. The settlement says that money will be used to create an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” which will be paid out of the Judgment Fund. > [@jebert](#): > > Is the $1.8B slush fund set in stone? Probably not, and nothing reported. To get money out of the Judgment Fund, there are more steps beyond DOJ settling the case. It needs to be certified by Treasury who administers the fund and submitted for payment. Once a _properly_ settled case is submitted to the Judgment Fund for payment, it takes about 2 weeks. So, for now, the money is likely still in the Judgment Fund and the Anti-Weaponization Fund (slush fund) has no money. Finally, the settlement has to be final and proper - meets certain criteria that DOT enforces. These determinations are up to the Treasury to determine, but I’d guess litigation into this will happen that may make it unclear whether this is actually a final or proper settlement or not. For example, is this really what the Judgment Fund was meant to be used for? There will be US codes that setup this Fund that will spell out to some degree what is a proper use of the fund. > [@jebert](#): > > is there any theoretical way Congress could regulate or eliminate it? Yes. Congress controls where Gov’t money goes; and created the Judgment Fund by statute. Here, Trump and Co are creating an end around Congress. I don’t think the Judgment Fund was meant to be used to create an entirely different Executive fund for a completely different Gov’t purpose. Trump and Co are just doing this to get money without needing Congress. > [@jebert](#): > > Is there any remedy in the courts? Yes. An injunction now to stop the transfer. And then later get into the merits of whether this was a proper suit/settlement that can even be paid out of the Judgment Fund to create a new Executive Branch fund. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/16 "2026-05-20T18:50:11Z")
I’m going to apply for reimbursement from this fund. I was victimized by the DOJ allowing rioters, insurrectionists, pedophiles and insider traders to walk free and walk off with my money and I would like a refund. I think every single citizen in the US should do likewise. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/17 "2026-05-20T18:52:00Z")
I’ve also read that this is not a settlement in the legal sense. This is an agreement. No legal settlement documents have been filed with the court. This is just the DOJ saying to Trump, “sure, here’s a bunch of money.” That is in no way legal and a court should be able to slap it down vigorously. The problem, of course, is that Trump and the DOJ will ignore the court and do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/18 "2026-05-20T18:56:39Z")
I’ll just add, it’s key to stop it now before money gets transferred which is why I focused (and read into your question) where the $1.8B was at. To add some context, a “valid” or “proper” claim is what will be disputed. It just means, if this was Trump suing b/c IRS did stuff to his tax returns and Trump got the $1.8B, that would make logical sense. Here, Trump will get an apology from the IRS. And the $1.8B was not given to Trump in damages (and Trump donated it to slush fund); it’s was awarded directly to the J6 nuts who are not parties to the IRS litigation. That doesn’t make sense and cannot be a proper settlement of the J6er claims - it has nothing to do with Trump/IRS/tax returns. The new lawsuits filed to prevent this slush fund will focus on many things, but mostly there was no controversy before DOJ that needed to be settled in this particular lawsuit against Trump that had anything to do with J6, etc. So not a proper settlement that the Judgment Fund _should_ certify. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/19 "2026-05-20T19:10:52Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > I’ve also read that this is not a settlement in the legal sense. This is an agreement. No legal settlement documents have been filed with the court. This is just the DOJ saying to Trump, “sure, here’s a bunch of money.” That is in no way legal and a court should be able to slap it down vigorously. THIS. From H.C. Richardson’s column published today: > [@](#): > > The document that purports to be a “settlement” has the words “settlement agreement” written in capital letters across the top of it, but the important word is “agreement.” **It is not the settlement of a legal case: Trump dropped the case** when it looked like the judge would throw it out. It is simply an agreement between Trump and his own appointees at the Department of Justice. As you say, the fact that this slush fund has no legal standing will simply be ignored by the Regime and, sadly, by Congress----which DOES have the power to do something, should they find the courage to do so. Note that virtually EVERY major media outlet is describing this as a “settlement” as though it did have legal standing. (Could they be shamed out of this obvious legal-washing of Donald’s illegitimate doings?) The Judicial Branch–or at least one judge–has weighed in. (Again, from Richardson) > [@](#): > > . In her order dismissing the suit, Judge Kathleen Williams noted that because Trump’s dropping of the suit “does not reference any settlement or include a stipulation of settlement, there is no settlement of record. Additionally, Defendants—federal agencies represented by the Department of Justice, which has an independent obligation to uphold the ‘public’s strong interest in knowing about the conduct of its Government and expenditure of its resources’ and the ‘fair administration of justice,’ **neither submitted any settlement documents nor filed any documents ensuring that settlement was appropriate** where there was an outstanding question as to whether an actual case or controversy existed.” > > … the New York Times reported today that **career lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service thought the agency should fight Trump’s suit** , noting that the statute of limitations for such a suit had run out, the Justice Department has previously taken the position that people cannot sue the IRS for the actions of a contractor, and the Justice Department settled a similar case from hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin with a public apology rather than a monetary payoff\*\*. Note also that when the agreement (NOT ‘settlement’) was announced, the top lawyer at the Treasury Department (Brian Morrissey) promptly resigned. In sum, the agreement stinks to high heaven. But whether it can be 86ed or not depends, probably, on how public opinion goes. If there’s a lot of ‘ho hum, this is boring policy stuff, I don’t care’ then it may stand. > **[May 19, 2026](https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-19-2026)** > > Yesterday the Department of Justice announced it is creating a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate what it calls victims of the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. my bolding in the quotes ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/20 "2026-05-20T20:07:12Z")
I do not know if there is a legal remedy, but remember this already represents a chickening out from Trump’s earlier effort to steal $10 billion from the IRS. So there is a remedy in public opinion. I suspect that Todd Blanche will go slow on giving out money from the slush fund, and Trump will chicken out on forcing him to pay out. I advise the January 6 Shaman not to count on a payout. Unfortunately, there probably is no remedy for the part of the so-called agreement where the IRS drops audits of Trump’s taxes. I’m not interested in locking people up, but it would have been nice if Donald had to pay his taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/21 "2026-05-20T20:23:15Z")
Alternate theory: The money (maybe SCOTUS, maybe Congress) never gets transferred. BUT… the no auditing Trump & fam stands, insider trading investigation happens, Trump’s dick suckers pay huge fines, but Trump is never investigated. Kinda like how he runs his past bankruptcies. The investors get screwed, but not him. ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244/22 "2026-05-20T21:06:46Z")
How can there be no remedy for the Trump audit immunity for eternity bit? He’d never even have to file a return again! That is bullshit of the highest order. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-remedy-for-trumps-1-8b-slush-fund/1030244.md?page=2)