- Press Releases
Statement on Trump heist of taxpayer money to reward criminal allies with slush fund
Matt Ortega, Democratic candidate for California’s 14th Congressional District in the June 2 primary, issued the following statement on the $1.8 billion slush fund orchestrated by the Trump administration.
Today’s announcement by the Department of Justice to establish a $1.776 billion slush fund to pay out criminals allied with Donald Trump is one of the most corrupt acts ever carried out in our nation’s history and it should outrage every American.
This slush fund was designed to rewrite history and reward violent criminals allied with the president who broke the law at his urging.
It is theft of taxpayer money based on lies.
At a time when the American people are struggling under the weight of the president’s disastrous policies and draconian cuts, Donald Trump is stealing from us to give to violent criminals.
The people unlawfully targeted were Rümeysa Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil, Leticia James, Jack Smith, Jim Comey, U.S. citizens and legal immigrants brutalized by ICE, and countless others—many of whom we may never know their names.
This is an impeachable act.
At minimum, a rebuilt DOJ under a Democratic president must pursue prosecutions of the officials involved in this scheme. Seizure of assets must be on the table to recoup taxpayer money.