Investigation launched into Trump’s ‘illegal and unconstitutional effort to steal’ from taxpayers
Two top Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are accusing former President Donald Trump of trying to illegally take $230 million in taxpayer money for himself. They say Trump’s actions are a shocking attempt to get money from the American people for his own benefit.
According to reports, Representatives Jamie Raskin from Maryland and Robert Garcia from California sent a joint letter to Trump. In the letter, they warned him that his plan to have the Department of Justice (DOJ) pay him for previous investigations into his actions goes against both the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
The lawmakers explained that Trump’s demand for payment violates the Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause. This rule says that a president can’t receive any money from the federal government other than their official salary. They also pointed out that the Federal Tort Claims Act forbids people from making such claims for damages against the government.
In their letter, Raskin and Garcia accused Trump of trying to steal money from the public. They wrote that it’s outrageous for Trump to ask the DOJ to order the U.S. Treasury to pay him hundreds of millions of dollars, especially when many Americans are struggling with rent, food, and healthcare costs.
Reports say that Trump filed formal complaints with the DOJ, claiming his rights were violated during federal investigations into his handling of classified documents and possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. The payout he is seeking would require approval from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Civil Division head Stanley Woodward Jr., both of whom have personal or professional ties to Trump. Blanche once served as Trump’s defense lawyer, and Woodward represented Trump aide Walt Nauta in a related legal case.
Trump has even joked about the situation, saying, “I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said, ‘I’m sort of suing myself.’”
The Democratic lawmakers accuse Trump of using his allies in the DOJ to secretly arrange a payout without public oversight. They argued that if Trump truly believed his claims were legitimate, he could have taken them to court in an open and transparent way. Instead, they say, he waited until he had loyal supporters in powerful DOJ positions so they could quietly approve the payments. “That isn’t justice,” they wrote, “it is theft.”
Raskin and Garcia are also demanding that the White House hand over all communications between officials and DOJ leaders involved in this issue. They want to see any documents or legal opinions connected to Trump’s request for compensation, including communications with Blanche and Woodward.
Right now, Democrats don’t have the power to issue subpoenas, which limits their ability to force the release of information. But their letter makes it clear that they plan to keep pushing for answers. One Democratic aide said that if Democrats win back control of the House in 2026, this will be one of the first issues they investigate.
