President Trump’s bid to be awarded as much as $230 million by his own Department of Justice as compensation for the various federal probes into his conduct would likely face few legal backstops if successful.

The president confirmed Tuesday that his personal legal team was seeking out a settlement, a request that could prompt his own appointees — among them his former defense attorneys — to make the determination of whether to pay up.

The unique scenario has drawn outrage from Democrats, who have called the move “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional.”

But experts say there’s little legal recourse if DOJ decides to settle, even as ordinary Americans are far less likely to get paid on claims like the president’s.

The New York Times first reported the possible settlements. Trump later alluded to the situation in remarks from the Oval Office.

Trump filed two claims seeking damages, according to the Times: The first, filed in late 2023, alleges various violations of his rights stemming from the FBI and special counsel investigation into Russian ties to his 2016 campaign. The second, submitted in the summer of 2024, accuses the FBI of violating his privacy by searching Mar-a-Lago for classified documents and what he deems the Justice Department’s malicious prosecution.

The claims are required to kickstart the process of suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the law Trump invoked, which allows damages lawsuits against the U.S. for government employees’ negligent acts. After six months of waiting, a claimant may sue.

Rupa Bhattacharyya, former director of the Justice Department’s Torts Branch-Civil Division, told The Hill that FTCA claims are brought every day and that it is one of the most active areas of litigation against the government.

She explained that the typical claim that settles during the administrative claim process is something like a traffic........

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