(London, Kentucky) It may seem incredible after all that we have endured for a year and a half. But there may be certain acts of corruption that Donald Trump will not be able to accomplish.
Published yesterday at
His “depoliticization fund,” intended to “reimburse” the Capitol attackers pursued and convicted in court, simply doesn’t pass.
On Thursday, senators refused to vote on a bill concerning immigration police budgets because it also contained $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom and $1.8 billion to “compensate” the insurgents. Everything is postponed for 10 days.
Given that the president pardoned some 1,270 delinquents duly convicted for invading the sacred precinct with the intent of preventing Joe Biden’s victory certification on that sad January 6, 2021, he also commuted the sentences of the six most violent among them, members of right-wing militias.
And now this week, he announces a $1.8 billion fund from the Department of Justice to compensate these delinquents. “A repayment fund for Capitol police attackers,” said a Democratic senator.
“I wrote $1.8 billion, but it’s $1.776 billion, as in 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence, which will celebrate its 250th anniversary on July 4. Because Trump has often said: these people were not insurgents, but ‘patriots.'”
Many senators still in office were at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. They had the scare of their lives. Not only did the President of the United States inspire this assault, but he also made it a heroic act. Republicans swallowed this. They said nothing when he signed the pardons. But now, “compensating” individuals convicted by justice—most of them pleading guilty—seems a bit too much.
Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, there is a level of corruption that can awaken some senators late.
It should be noted that this fund is the result of an enormous and hallucinating agreement between Donald Trump and himself.
Trump was suing the federal government, even before his reelection, for the leaking of his personal tax documents obtained by the New York Times. Disclosing someone’s tax information is a crime, and if Trump could prove the responsibility of IRS employees, he had a case. Surely not for $10 billion, but that’s another story.
Now he’s becoming president again. The acting attorney general is now his own lawyer, Todd Blanche. Even Trump joked that if his lawsuit went ahead, in court, he would be suing himself. This is obviously not the case, as he is not (yet) the state, and the attorney general is supposed to be independent.
Except that we have known for a long time that there is no more independence in the Justice Department, which is at the president’s beck and call.
Result: there will be no trial; an agreement has been reached, in which the IRS commits never to prosecute Trump and his family for any tax-related reason. This is a huge gain, as challenges targeting the Trump family would amount to $100 million.
Regarding this settlement, the Justice Department agreed to create this exorbitant “fund.” To evaluate the requests, a committee of five people would be formed, chosen by none other than Todd Blanche. It’s basically chosen by Donald Trump.
One would have thought that after the crushing of their dissenting colleague Thomas Massie on Tuesday, Republicans in Congress would keep quiet. Who wants to have an opponent from their own party in their way? Or see pro-Trump funds pouring in to ensure their defeat in the elections?
A contrary phenomenon seems to be emerging. Several elected officials have not accepted the treatment given to Massie and others, like Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who Trump also managed to have defeated by one of his own.
Added to this is the growing unpopularity of the president. Moderately conservative state officials are now in danger if they continue to sign everything Trump demands. The president controls his base and party very well. But the electoral battle is fought among independents. And this group is turning massively away from the Republicans.
And then, in January, there will only be two years left in this presidency. His power of influence will be greatly diminished. We will think about post-Trump.
“Allocating public funds for a ballroom in honor of the president, while everything else costs more, is not likely to win you votes.”
“Financially compensating people who vandalized the Capitol, injured police officers, threatened democracy, contributed to deaths, is simply unacceptable. Or politically too costly.”
In a Congress that seemed no longer to be scandalized by anything, neither abuse of power nor corruption, it is almost surprising that this minimum ethical standard has been reached.
There is hope, after all.
