Donald Trump has confirmed he is seeking compensation from his own Department of Justice (DOJ) for federal investigations launched during previous administrations.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump commented on a New York Times report that said he was after $230 million in compensation from the DOJ.
Trump said his legal team “could be” seeking that amount, but he was unaware of the number, and added, “I get no salary, I gave up my salary.”
Highlights
- Donald Trump is seeking up to $230 million in compensation from the DOJ for investigations launched during previous administrations.
- Trump alleges the DOJ violated his rights in the Russian interference probe and invaded his privacy during the Mar-a-Lago FBI search.
- The DOJ dismissed the classified documents case against Trump and avoided appeals after his reelection, per policy on sitting presidents.
- Ethics concerns arise as DOJ officials involved in Trump’s cases could decide on his compensation settlements.
Donald Trump is seeking compensation from the Department of Justice
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As per the NYT report, the compensation relates to complaints Trump filed in 2023 and 2024.
The first complaint alleges that Trump’s rights were violated during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The second complaint alleges that Trump’s privacy was violated by the FBI in 2022 when it searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents.
It also accuses the DOJ of malicious prosecution for charging him in the first place.
The classified documents case against Trump was dismissed by a judge last year, and the DOJ decided not to pursue further appeals after he was re-elected, in line with policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
When he was questioned by reporters about the compensation on Tuesday, Trump replied, “I don’t know about the numbers. I don’t even talk to them about it.
“All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money. I’d give it to charity or something.”
“It’s interesting because I’m the one that makes a decision. And, you know, that decision would have to go across my desk,” he added.
“It’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.”
Trump continued, “I was damaged very greatly and any money that I would get, I would give to charity.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche (right) was Trump’s lead criminal defense lawyer
Image credits: Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images
The issue of compensation has raised significant ethics concerns, which is something Trump seems to have acknowledged himself.
The president alluded to the complaints in the Oval Office last week, saying, “I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said, I’m sort of suing myself.”
“It sort of looks bad, I’m suing myself, right? So I don’t know. But that was a lawsuit that was very strong, very powerful.”
The complaints filed by Trump are not lawsuits but government files called a Standard Form 95 that claim for damage against a federal agency under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
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They are typically filed to assess whether a settlement can be reached before a lawsuit is filed in federal court, and taxpayers usually pay for the compensation.
Settlements for more than $4 million against the DOJ must be approved by either the deputy attorney general or the chief of the agency’s civil division, the NYT reported.
Trump’s Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was his lead criminal defense lawyer, and the head of the department’s Civil Division, Stanley Woodward Jr., represented Trump’s co-defendant in the classified documents case.
Both of those factors have further fueled ethics concerns, as those involved in the cases Trump is seeking compensation for could be the ones to grant a settlement.
Ethics concerns have been raised over any potential DOJ settlement (pictured below: Stanley Woodward Jr.)
Image credits: Eva Marie Uzcategui T/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Asked by the NYT if either Blanche or Woodward Jr. would be recused from settlement negotiations due to those concerns, a DOJ spokesperson said guidance would be followed.
“In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials,” spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said in a statement.
The agency’s top ethics adviser was sacked by Attorney General Pam Bondi in July.
Pam Bondi fired the top ethics adviser earlier this year
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As well as suggesting he could give any compensation to charity, Trump also told reporters he would do “something nice with it,” such as giving it to the White House.
It comes as demolition work on the East Wing of the White House began Monday, marking the start of a major construction project to build Trump’s long-planned ballroom.
Construction crews used heavy equipment to tear down parts of the East Wing’s facade as the $250 million project moved into its first phase.
Photographs revealed sections of the building’s front stripped away, with piles of debris, including window panes, building blocks, and wires.