A former senior adviser to President Trump on Tuesday questioned Trump’s pressure during his 2016 White House bid. $230 million settlement From the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The president’s lawyers are reportedly demanding compensation for a previous investigation into his handling of classified documents, which would result in a search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 and an investigation into his alleged support of Russia’s election interference in 2016. The New York Times was report first Settlement details.
“If the president wants to apologize to the Justice Department, or to anyone for making a mistake — that’s one thing. The public coming out of their checkbooks to give him money for John Q. It’s not like it hurt Donald Trump’s brand, right?” Former Trump adviser David Urban said in an appearance on CNN on Tuesday,arena,
“If you go around the world and look at Trump’s developments and Trump’s properties and how profitable the Trump Organization is today, I don’t think it’s hurt him at all,” Urban said.
In earlier comments, he told the audience that many of the cases previously brought against the President were “serious”, but said an apology should correct wrongdoing, not “taxpayers’ dollars”.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as Trump’s former personal lawyer in criminal cases, is one of two people who could determine whether the president can receive millions in compensation for the previous investigation, the Times reports.
Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin said in a statement that officials “follow the guidance of career ethics officials.”
However, the department’s top ethics adviser was fired in July.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that his rights were violated during both investigations.
On Tuesday, the president told reporters he was unaware of the amount his lawyers were requesting in the settlement, but said he was entitled to financial compensation.
Trump said, “I don’t know the numbers, I don’t even talk to them about it. I just know they’ll owe me a lot of money, but I’m not looking for the money. I’ll give it to charity or something.”
He said, “Now with the country, it is interesting because I am the one who takes the decisions. And that decision has to go to my table.” “And it’s very strange to decide that I’m paying myself. Have you ever had a case where you have to decide how much harm you’re causing yourself? But I’ve suffered a lot, and I’ll donate any money I get to charity.”
