President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service has ended under the shadow of corruption: In exchange for dropping the case over leaked tax returns, the government will set aside money for Trump’s allies, all under his ultimate control and without independent oversight.

The $1,776 billion fund — an apparent nod to the nation’s founding — seems more about advancing political narratives than achieving justice. In fact, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to rule out payouts to individuals who attacked Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6, 2021. Blanche also added an outright gift to Trump and his sons: releasing them from any claims that could be brought against them by the IRS forever. It’s a legally questionable move, since it’s unrelated to Trump’s claims in the lawsuit.

The original lawsuit, brought by the president and his sons, sought an astonishing $10 billion in damages alleging violations of the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act after an IRS employee shared Trump’s tax returns with the media in 2019. To resolve the conflict, the Justice Department announced Monday that it would establish the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund to offer financial relief to other individuals, who were not parties to the suit but purportedly targeted with legal action on ideological grounds.

“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Blanche said.

Trump and his sons can........

© Bloomberg