FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Justice Department risks forever ceasing to be perceived as an independent arbiter and instead becoming the place where political power decides who should be punished, pardoned, or even compensated...
The United States government agrees to be "permanently barred" from pursuing or reviewing the ongoing tax affairs of Donald Trump, his children and the Trump Organization. That is the wording of the agreement released by the Justice Department, which has turned a lawsuit over the president's tax returns into one of the most contentious political and institutional issues of Trump's second term.
The settlement stems from a $10 billion lawsuit that Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury after the release of his tax returns. Formally, the agreement provides for a formal apology from the federal government and no direct payment to the president. But much more is hidden behind these few lines: the administration has pledged to permanently drop several tax challenges against the president, his children and his companies.
The Justice Department has clarified that the agreement concerns existing audits and not any future investigations. But the political significance remains great. American experts have an extremely difficult time finding similar precedents. Daniel Werfel, former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service during the Biden administration, explained that he knows of no case in which the IRS has agreed in advance to waive audits of a specific person or company.
"Regardless of whether you are the president or an ordinary citizen, the rules should be the same for everyone ," he said.
The issue isn’t just about taxes, though. The same agreement paved the way for the creation of the Anti-Armament Fund, a $1.776 billion fund designed to compensate individuals who believe they were politically persecuted by the Justice Department during the Joe Biden years. It was introduced by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, who described it as a way to hear from victims of political abuse of federal institutions.
And here the issue takes on a much broader scope. During a Senate hearing, Blanche did not rule out the possibility that those involved in the violence of January 6, 2021, could also seek financial compensation. Asked by Democrats about the possibility that individuals convicted of attacking Capitol police officers could receive public funds, the head of the Justice Department replied that anyone who believes they have been the victim of political persecution can apply.
The response immediately set Washington ablaze. Democrats denounced it as an unprecedented abuse of power, transforming the Justice Department into a political tool that directly serves the president. Senator Chris Van Hollen called it a “theft of public money,” while Chris Coons called the fund a giant political cash cow to reward loyalists and January 6 protesters. But signs of concern emerged from the Republican Party as well. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he “didn’t see the purpose” of the fund, while Bill Cassidy openly called it a “secret fund.”
At the heart of the issue is the concept of political abuse of justice. Trump has argued for years that the Justice Department under Biden has been used against him and the conservative world. Now this narrative risks becoming the official doctrine of the administration. No longer just a political denunciation, but a principle capable of producing economic, legal and institutional effects.
It is also a crucial step in rewriting the memory of January 6. First came the pardon for those who participated in the attack on the Capitol. Now, there may be the possibility of financial compensation for those who claim to have been politically persecuted. The implicit message is that those accused of January 6 are no longer considered responsible for an attack on American democracy, but victims of a politicized state apparatus.
That's why the issue goes beyond Trump's tax dispute. At stake is the relationship between the presidency and the federal judiciary, the line between the public interest and the personal interest of the chief executive, and, above all, the very nature of American institutions in the Trump era. Critics warn that the Justice Department risks forever ceasing to be perceived as an independent arbiter and instead becoming the place where political power decides who should be punished, pardoned, or even compensated./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Linkiesta".
Kur ka pasur ndonjehere njerezimi drejtesi!? Kur nuk ka pasur dejtesi ne koherat e burrnise e moralit e thjeshtesise, si mund te pritet sot kur paburreria, degjenerimi, pabesia ka si flamur dylberin 7te ngjyresh e gjithshka eshte shnderruar ne lesh me qime.