Emily Bazelon: Hello, David. I hope you’re having a good month. Seeing your grandchildren is always uplifting. Today, I want to discuss Jeff Sessions and his controversial actions as Trump’s first attorney general.
In 2017, Sessions issued a memo preventing the Justice Department from settling lawsuits and routing payments to third parties who weren’t directly harmed. The intention was to use settlements purely for compensating victims.
At that time, Sessions reacted against settlements from the Obama era. A notable case involved banks, accused by the government of harmful lending practices before the 2008 financial crisis. They reached settlements in part by donating to organizations like the National Council of La Raza and NeighborWorks. These groups offered legal aid and supported community development in affected areas. Republicans criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ) for bypassing Congress to support groups favored by Democrats.
The current Trump Justice Department approach diverges significantly from Obama’s. They have established a $1.776 billion fund to compensate Trump’s allies. This is part of a settlement where Trump and his family dropped a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, related to leaked tax information.
Trump has also secured immunity from future tax investigations for himself, his family, and his businesses. This immunity is explicitly stated in an agreement addendum, signed by acting attorney general Todd Blanche, and dramatically emphasized by its presentation in all caps.
David French: Indeed, the Obama-era schemes are modest compared to Trump’s actions. Trump now controls a vast fund, $1.776 billion, which could create substantial wealth for his allies.