The creation of the $1.8B 'weaponization' fund through a settlement between the President and his own Justice Department is presented as a major challenge to the separation of powers. Critics argue it circumvents Congress's exclusive constitutional authority over federal spending (the 'power of the purse').
The episode details actions by the Acting Attorney General, including indicting political adversaries and establishing a fund that could potentially compensate January 6th rioters. These actions are framed as using the DOJ to reward political allies and punish opponents, rather than for the impartial administration of justice.
The lawsuit between President Trump and his own government is described as a textbook example of 'collusive litigation,' where there is no genuine dispute. The settlement was allegedly rushed to avoid a judge dismissing the case, while still using the case's existence to justify creating the fund.
A new ICE policy allowing arrests inside immigration courthouses has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge in New York. The policy is criticized for being arbitrary and capricious, and for deterring individuals from attending their court hearings, thereby disrupting the immigration justice system.
Both main stories question the government's adherence to legal and judicial constraints. This is seen in the DOJ's creation of a legally questionable fund and its admission of providing false information to a federal judge regarding the ICE arrest policy.
Keep pulling the thread on Weekend Law.