Home - CBSNews.com | Who could benefit from Trump's $1.7+ billion "weaponization" fund?

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When President Donald Trump and the Justice Department settled his lawsuit over the IRS‑Treasury leak of his tax returns, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a $1.776 billion “anti‑weaponization fund” that will “hear and redress claims of those who suffered weaponization and law‑fare.” The fund, controlled by a five‑member commission appointed by the attorney general, can issue apologies and monetary relief to claimants and will stop accepting claims on Dec. 15 2028, after which any unspent money returns to the Treasury. Although the Justice Department says there are no partisan filing requirements, analysts expect the money will largely go to Trump’s allies—such as pardoned Jan. 6 participants, former campaign officials and other supporters who previously faced DOJ investigations. Ethics experts warn the fund lacks clear eligibility rules, public oversight, or judicial review, calling it an open‑ended “slush fund” that could allow discretionary payouts to friends and even violent insurrectionists, prompting sharp criticism from watchdog groups and concerns about constitutional violations.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-could-benefit-from-trumps-1-7-billion-weaponization-fund/

#DonaldTrump #ToddBlanche #MarkHouck #MichaelFlynn #MarkMeadows #RichardBriffault #InternalRevenueService #CREW #

qwant news | The Neo-Nazi Enforcer Who Helped Build Peter Thiel’s Online Influence Empire

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Barrett Brown’s article uncovers how a loose network of far‑right actors—centered on neo‑Nazi hacker Andrew “Weev” Auernheimer and funded in part by Peter Thiel’s Palantir‑linked ventures—helped forge the online influence empire that now shapes mainstream politics. The piece traces the evolution of “memetic warfare,” a term coined by Jeff Giesea, who together with extremist Charles C. Johnson drafted a NATO‑affiliated paper detailing disinformation, sock‑puppet accounts, and harassment tactics that were first tested on white‑supremacist sites like the Daily Stormer. Leaked HBGary documents reveal that similar tactics were originally devised to attack unions, journalists, and left‑wing activists, with Palantir’s involvement later confirmed through Auernheimer’s connections to Thiel. Over a decade, these methods migrated from fringe image‑boards (4chan, 8chan) into organized campaigns such as GamerGate and QAnon, bolstered by funding from Thiel‑aligned investors and even Epstein‑linked figures, culminating in a coordinated digital “army” that blends extremist harassment with elite strategic discourse.

Read more: https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/05/15/the-neo-nazi-enforcer-who-helped-build-peter-thiels-online-influence-empire/

#DonaldTrump #PeterThiel #AndrewAuernheimer #Palantir #DailyStormer #BarrettBrown #MichaelFlynn #JeffGiesea #JeffreyEpstein #CharlesJohnson

The #Trump #DOJ agreed to let #ElonMusk pay one penny on the dollar in a civil penalty to the govt.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/trump-sec-lets-musk-settle-150-million-twitter-lawsuit-for-1-5-million

Why? Because Musk is indigent?

The penalty is for failing to disclose that he bought a 9% share of Twitter in 2022, enabling him to buy more shares at artificially low prices. Musk was convicted by a jury of violating #SEC mandatory disclosure rules in January 2025.

What's the next step? Pull a #MichaelFlynn? Sue the govt for malicious prosecution and find a docile DOJ willing to settle with him for $1+ million?
https://apnews.com/article/trump-michael-flynn-russia-justice-department-7b1d493300b5336900cb508c855fd59d

#USLaw #USPol #USPolitics

Trump’s DOJ Hands $1.2 Million Payout To His Former National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/30/trumps-doj-hands-1-2-million-payout-to-his-former-national-security-advisor-mike-flynn/