Top House Democrats have accused former president Donald Trump of attempting to execute what they call an illegal and unconstitutional plan to divert $230 million in taxpayer money into his own pocket.
Lawmakers said Trump is seeking to use his presidential authority to approve financial restitution for himself through an internal Justice Department process.
According to documents reviewed by The Daily National News, the scheme would allow Trump to personally authorize payments to himself using Treasury funds, despite being the subject of the same investigations for which he now claims compensation.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Representative Robert Garcia, ranking member of the Oversight Committee, have demanded that Trump abandon what they describe as a blatant abuse of power.
In a strongly worded letter to the president on Thursday, the two lawmakers said Trump’s plan “violates the Constitution’s most basic principles of separation of powers and self-dealing restrictions.”
They accused Trump of trying to enrich himself at a time when millions of Americans are struggling with rent, healthcare, and food costs.
“Your plan to have your obedient underlings at the Department of Justice instruct the US Treasury to pay you, personally, hundreds of millions of dollars is an outrageous and shocking attempt to shake down the American people,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter also cited growing public concern about Trump’s handling of government funds and potential conflicts of interest surrounding his business dealings.
Legal advocacy group Democracy Forward has joined the push for transparency, filing a public records request to obtain documents related to Trump’s restitution claims.
The group said it is seeking to uncover whether the Justice Department or Treasury Department has received any directives connected to Trump’s demand for compensation.
While in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that the government “owes him a lot of money” for previous investigations into his conduct.
He specifically referenced the FBI’s search of his Mar-a-Lago residence and the Department of Justice probe into Russian interference during the 2016 election.
Trump further claimed he has the personal authority to decide whether he should receive the funds, telling reporters, “It’s interesting, ’cause I’m the one that makes the decision, right?”
The statement has intensified scrutiny from congressional Democrats, who argue that Trump is once again testing the limits of presidential power for personal benefit.
Raskin said his staff’s analysis indicates Trump could potentially receive payments without the transaction being immediately disclosed to the public.
“Our reading is that, even though this is a private settlement, it doesn’t have to be disclosed anywhere until there is an accounting of where all the money has gone at the end of the year,” Raskin told The Daily National News.
The arrangement, he said, could allow Trump to quietly divert taxpayer funds long before Congress or the public becomes aware.
A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee confirmed that Trump’s restitution claims are being processed through a confidential administrative channel within the Justice Department.
This system typically operates behind closed doors and does not require public reporting until an annual review of government expenditures is completed.
The process means Trump, as president, could ultimately decide whether Trump, as claimant, receives taxpayer money for investigations into Trump, as defendant.
Ethics experts warn that such an arrangement would represent an unprecedented conflict of interest.
Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told The Daily National News that all decisions within the department are guided by professional ethics officials.
“In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials,” Gilmartin said in a written statement.
Democrats have called on the department’s inspector general to investigate whether Trump’s actions violate federal ethics and conflict-of-interest laws.
As pressure builds in Washington, Raskin and Garcia said they will introduce legislation next week to require immediate disclosure of any restitution payments made to government officials or their businesses.
The controversy adds to a long list of legal and ethical challenges facing the former president as he continues to navigate ongoing criminal and civil investigations.
For now, Democrats are vowing to use every oversight mechanism available to block what they describe as an “unconstitutional enrichment scheme” funded by the American taxpayer.
