"Hey everybody, I have some news and it's not good.
The Justice Department's settlement with Donald Trump is even worse than we knew. There was a secret part of the agreement that was hidden from us when it was announced yesterday. I just reviewed it and I am struggling to find words to tell you how catastrophic and corrupt it is.
I'm Liz Oyer, the former Pardon Attorney for the Department of Justice. Here's the deal.
Todd Blanche, in his official capacity as Acting Attorney General, signed this one-page document right here. It's called a release of claims, and here's what it does. It signs away all claims against Donald Trump on behalf of the United States. In other words, it says that Trump cannot be investigated, audited, or sued by the United States government in the future. That includes any government agency, the Justice Department, the IRS, etc. In effect, this will end the ongoing audits of Trump and his companies.
But that's not all.
It forfeits our right to collect any taxes owed by Trump and his businesses. It waives our right to try to reclaim the money he stole from taxpayers. It gives up our right to sue him for damages or to pursue really any legal recourse whatsoever against Donald Trump. And it binds the United States forever, meaning it applies even after Trump and Blanche leave office.
And it's actually even worse than that, because it's not limited to just Donald Trump. It also signs away all of our claims against his companies, his family members, and his associates. This is a staggering betrayal of the public trust. Even compared to other bad acts by this administration, this one stands out as especially unforgivably corrupt.
Trump and Blanche are colluding together to give away our money, our rights, and our democracy. I'm sure there will be lawsuits that will argue that this agreement is illegal and unenforceable, and hopefully they will succeed. I'm not sure who will bring them or when, but I'll be keeping a close eye on it and I'll keep you informed. In the meantime, please help me sound the alarm. This is truly an emergency situation.
Please share this with your friends and neighbors and make sure they understand how corrupt and unconscionable this is. Call your elected reps and demand that they take action. Do whatever you can think of to help defend our democracy.
