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

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.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
    2·
    1 hour ago
    • states do not have jurisdiction over irs, no “standing”
    • the new crime was not perpetrated by the defendant. Trump illegally taking money from IRS as a slush fund to criminals who forward hi s desires is his crime

    I think you’d need to make the argument that a slush fund payout is directly profiting from your crime but you’d have to argue that

    • TipRing@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      48 minutes ago

      States have the right to levy taxes. This is a special income tax, not a fine. The state isn’t suing anyone, they are just defining a form of income having a certain tax rate.