State’s governor looks to thwart US president’s plan to divert money to allies, including January 6 rioters

California governor Gavin Newsom is looking to thwart Donald Trump’s $1.776bn “anti-weaponization fund” by imposing a 100% tax on any payout received by state residents.

In May, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced a fund to compensate alleged “victims of lawfare and weaponization”. It’s unclear who qualifies under this category.

The fund was the product of a settlement reached between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – the agency the president sued over his leaked tax returns.

Critics, including Newsom, have slammed the fund as a “boondoggle” designed to divert money to Trump’s allies. Speculation has swirled that its benefactors could include the individuals who were arrested in the 6 January 2021 siege of the US Capitol. The Trump administration has described the rioters as patriots and since pardoned many who were charged in relation to the attack.

  • fizzle@quokk.au
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    4 days ago

    I like the energy here but… I dont think much of this money is destined for Jan 6 idiots. Surely their usefulness to Trump is finished.

      • fizzle@quokk.au
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        4 days ago

        Yes, but the types of people Trump needs a slush fund to pay, are the types of people that can arrange to receive the money in the most advantageous jurisdiction.

        • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Well Newsom is just the governor of California, so not like he has ultimate power. He’s also problematic in a lot of ways, but this one seems like a good move as far as it goes.

      • ByteJunk@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Yeah but the issue is that wealthy people don’t follow the same rules. They’ll create a company or something out of state to funnel that money to their pockets without Cali ever knowing.

        It’s only the poor people who get fucked.

    • flandish@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      oh it’s just manufactured midterm consent. the money is advertising more than anything else.

    • leadore@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      The money is to whoever trump wants to give it to for whatever reason with zero accountability. It doesn’t matter whether any Jan 6ers get any of it, it’s 100% illegal theft of taxpayer money by trump.

    • 14th_cylon@lemmy.zip
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      4 days ago

      i also assume so. and in the case these assholes would receive something, i assume they would just move after this pr stunt?