Senate Judiciary Democrats Probe Trump $230 Million Settlement Claims Before Justice Department

The Senators highlight another attempt by Trump to weaponize his power for personal financial gain, as well as the inescapable conflicts of interest at DOJ in assessing these claims

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in probing President Trump's claims pending before the Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking $230 million of taxpayer dollars in alleged damages.

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Senators began by characterizing the claims as "yet another attempt by President Trump to weaponize his position of power for personal financial gain at the expense of American taxpayers."

The Senators continued by highlighting conflicts of interest that are unique to the Trump DOJ, writing: "Setting aside the lack of merit in President Trump's claims, there is an inescapable conflict of interest in Trump Administration officials assessing these claims while serving at the President's pleasure. Moreover, the officials who have the authority to approve such a settlement pursuant to DOJ regulations-Deputy Attorney General (AG) Todd Blanche and Associate AG Stanley Woodward-have an even more acute conflict of interest because they defended President Trump and his co-defendant, respectively, in the classified documents case."

The Senators then call out DOJ's dodging on whether Blanche or Woodward would recuse themselves, citing the Department's weak press statement invoking "career ethics officials" that DOJ terminated, writing: "[A]s you know, the Trump Administration removed the senior career DOJ ethics officials who would provide this critical guidance and placed their duties in the hands of inexperienced political appointees who are beholden to you for their positions, an outrage we have repeatedly asked you to address to since February. Compounding this irresponsible move was the termination of Joseph W. Tirrell, the Director of DOJ's Departmental Ethics Office, which provides advice on conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, and recusals to senior political appointees at DOJ, such as Deputy AG Blanche, Associate AG Woodward, and yourself. This followed the removal of another Department guardrail-the firing of the Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility, Jeffrey Ragsdale, who was the senior official of the office responsible for investigating DOJ attorney misconduct."

The Senators conclude with an admonishment of these claims and their review process, writing: "The American people deserve to understand how political appointees of the President whose claims they are assessing, including an appointee who previously defended the President in one of the matters at issue, can ethically assess the merits of his claims… As the American people grapple with the impacts of the Republican government shutdown, President Trump's attempt to exploit the Justice Department and profit from taxpayer dollars cannot be overlooked."

In addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

For a PDF of the letter to Attorney General Bondi, click here.

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