Trump’s ‘Blatantly Illegal’ Effort To Take $230 Million From Taxpayers Hits A Snag

Two prominent House Democrats have sent a letter to President Donald Trump, warning him that his attempts to order the Justice Department to pay him $230 million in taxpayer funds as compensation for investigations against him under the Biden administration are unconstitutional and illegal.

The letter, written by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Robert Garcia (D-California), ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, emphasizes that the Constitution’s National Emoluments Clause prohibits the president from receiving any additional payment from the federal government beyond his salary, and that the Federal Claims Act also prohibits the compensation Trump is seeking.

The letter states: “In your statements to the press this week, you described a blatantly illegal and unconstitutional attempt to steal $230 million from the American people.” Your plan to have your obedient subordinates at the Justice Department order the U.S. Treasury to pay you hundreds of millions of dollars—especially at a time when most Americans are struggling to pay their rent, make ends meet, and cover their health care costs—constitutes a shocking and outrageous attempt to blackmail the American people.

Trump has filed administrative complaints with the Justice Department, alleging that his rights were violated by the Department’s investigations into his illegal retention of classified documents and Russia’s role in the 2016 election. The $230 million compensation he is seeking requires the approval of Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanch and Civil Division Chief Stanley Woodward Jr., before likely requiring Trump’s final approval. Blanch previously served as Trump’s personal attorney during these investigations, while Woodward advised his aide, Walt Nota, on the classified documents issue. The conflict of interest is so obvious that Trump himself has commented on it.

“I had a trial that was going very well, and when I became president, I said, ‘I’m going to sue myself,'” Trump said in the Oval Office on October 15. “I don’t know how to handle it? I’d say, ‘Give me a sum of money, right?’ And I don’t know what to do with it. It’s a great trial. And now that I’ve won, it looks bad. I’m suing myself, aren’t I?”

Raskin and Garcia agree that it looks bad.

“If your accusations were true,” their letter states, “you could have filed a lawsuit by now and argued it publicly. You haven’t.” Instead, you waited until you were president and installed handpicked loyalists at the Justice Department, knowing they could be tasked with secretly signing your payment requests behind closed doors and then submitting them to the U.S. Treasury in exchange for American taxpayer dollars. This isn’t fair; it’s theft.

The letter demands that the White House provide it with various information regarding Trump’s “ongoing plot” to raid the U.S. Treasury for his own benefit. This includes all relevant correspondence with Justice Department officials, including Blanch, all Justice Department memos and other legal opinions related to the case, and all documents identifying individuals within the Justice Department involved in overseeing Trump’s compensation claim.

While Democrats are currently in the minority in the House of Representatives, Raskin and Garcia’s letter indicates their intention to investigate this matter immediately and to use Congress’s subpoena power if the Democrats win the 2026 election.