Legal experts and White House critics are worried the Justice Department (DOJ) could become a piggy bank for those with grievances as President Trump and a number of his allies pursue million-dollar settlement claims.
While Trump’s push for $230 million in compensation for two probes into his conduct would be the most lucrative of the suits, others in his orbit are also seeking millions from the DOJ.
That group includes Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has said he intends to take advantage of a provision tucked into the bill to reopen the government that allows 10 senators to sue for $1 million after their phone records were obtained by special counsel Jack Smith without notifying them.
The Justice Department also appears to have reversed course in existing settlement disputes with other Trump allies, an unusual move after fighting multimillion-dollar requests.
Prior efforts from Trump’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and former Trump White House lawyer Stefan Passantino to score settlements with the DOJ hit roadblocks in court, but Bloomberg reported the two are now in renewed discussions with the Justice Department.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5618124-trump-allies-justice-department-settlements/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-seeking-230m-settlement-doj/story?id=126772259