- Attorney General Todd Blanche approved documents protecting Trump and allies from future legal claims
- One document sets $1.8 billion taxpayer fund to compensate Trump allies claiming unfair targeting
- The addendum blocks investigations by IRS and Treasury, even for unknown future issues
US President Donald Trump is allegedly trying to shield himself from future prosecution after leaving the White House, but this move could be reversed later.
Attorney General Todd Blanche recently approved two major documents that have created controversy in the US. The first document is described as a "settlement agreement" which places about $1.8 billion of taxpayer money into a fund to compensate Trump's allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous government.
The second document is an addendum that reportedly protects Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization from a wide range of future legal claims. It is said to block investigations or actions by agencies like the IRS and the Treasury Department, even for issues that are not yet known, reported CNN.
It is linked to claims involving past investigations such as the Russia inquiry and prosecutions related to the January 6 Capitol riots.
Prosecutors involved in Capitol riot cases and Justice Department employees connected to former special counsel Jack Smith's investigations into Trump were reportedly removed from their jobs.
The Justice Department also dropped the contempt-of-Congress case against Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser who refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot.
Reports state that Trump has become more powerful as president because recent Supreme Court rulings have given the White House more authority. He is willing to push presidential powers to the maximum limit.
Former Justice Department official Liz Oyer said the arrangement looks like a "criminal conspiracy," according to The Hill.
Why Trump's Legal Shield Could Be Challenged
Trump cannot legally negotiate settlements worth billions of dollars with agencies that he himself oversees, according to The Sacramento Bee.
In 2024, the US Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity for official presidential acts. However, the court also made clear that former presidents can still be prosecuted for unofficial or personal actions after leaving office.
Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, stated that Trump does not have the constitutional authority to give himself, his sons, or his business permanent immunity from IRS or tax-related investigations. She believes any such protection could be challenged and overturned by a future US administration.
"The whole thing is bogus, so any attempt to use it as a valid legal defense is bogus, too," she wrote in The Hill.
