Trump vows to have 'final say' on $230m he claims Justice Department owes him over federal probes
Donald Trump said Tuesday that the federal government owes him "a lot of money" for prior Justice Department investigations into his actions and asserted he would have the ultimate say on any payout.
President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the federal government owes him "a lot of money" for previous Justice Department probes into his conduct.
A New York Times report revealed earlier that Trump had submitted administrative claims prior to his reelection, demanding approximately $230 million in compensation tied to the FBI's 2022 raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified materials and for a distinct probe into possible connections between Russia and his 2016 presidential bid.
Trump added he'd have the final authority on any settlement because any ruling will "have to go across my desk," he said to White House reporters earlier today.
Trump stated Tuesday he was unaware of the specific dollar amounts and indicated he hadn't discussed it with officials. However, he noted, "All I know is that, they would owe me a lot of money."
While the Justice Department maintains a procedure for examining such claims, Trump declared, "It's interesting, 'cause I'm the one that makes the decision, right? That decision would have to go across my desk," he continued.
Trump went on, "It's awfully strange to make a decision where I'm paying myself. But I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get I would give to charity," he assured.
He also suggested utilizing the funds to help finance a ballroom he's constructing at the White House. The current status of the claims and any internal negotiations within the Justice Department remain unclear.
Todd Blanche, one of Trump's lead defense lawyers in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, now serves as the deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. Stanley Woodward, the current associate attorney general, previously represented Trump's valet and co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the same case.
"In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials," a spokesperson for the Justice Department stated. A White House spokesperson directed further comments to the Justice Department.
Trump hinted at his interest in compensation during a White House appearance last week with Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was part of Trump's legal team during one of his impeachment cases.
"I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said: 'I'm suing myself. I don't know. How do you settle the lawsuit?'" he mused. "I'll say, 'Give me X dollars,' and I don't know what to do with the lawsuit. It's a great lawsuit and now I won, it looks bad. I'm suing myself, so I don't know."
According to The Times, the two claims were filed with the Justice Department as part of a process aimed at resolving federal complaints through settlements to avoid litigation.
One of the administrative claims, filed in August 2024 and examined by The Associated Press, demands compensatory and punitive damages over the search of his Mar-a-Lago estate and the subsequent case accusing him of hoarding classified documents and obstructing government attempts to recover them.
His attorney who lodged the claim alleged that the case was a "malicious prosecution" executed by the Biden administration to damage Trump's attempt to regain the White House, forcing Trump to shell out tens of millions of dollars in his defense.
That probe led to criminal charges that Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith dropped last November due to department policy against indicting a sitting president.
The Times reported that the other complaint seeks damages related to the long-concluded Trump-Russia investigation, which continues to infuriate the president.