Susan Collins

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday quizzed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about a nearly $2 billion fund to compensate people who were scrutinized by the Biden Administration.

The $1.8 billion pool of money, announced yesterday, was created as part of a $10 billion lawsuit President Donald Trump and his sons filed in January against the Internal Revenue Service. The lawsuit stemmed from the unauthorized release of the Trumps’ tax returns in 2020.

Trump will receive a formal apology from the DOJ, but no money from the fund.

During a budget hearing, Collins, a Republican who chairs the Appropriations Committee, did not say whether the fund was appropriate.

The Press Herald has reached out to Collins’ office for comment.

Collins questioned the legal basis for the fund, how claims would be decided and whether the activity would be publicly reported.

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Critics have likened the fund to a taxpayer-supported slush fund for the president’s friends and allies. They argue it flies in the face of Trump’s stated attempts to streamline government and safeguard taxpayer dollars.

Defenders of the fund say some Americans are owed compensation after being subjected to investigations by the Justice Department under Biden.

Blanche said a panel of five commissioners would review claims from those seeking a settlement from the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” He compared the fund to a program created under President Barak Obama to pay claims to indigenous people who were treated unfairly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“It is true that this is unusual,” Blanche said. “But it is not unprecedented.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., blasted the comparison to the Obama-era program, noting that those settlements were approved by a judge.

“To compare that case to this one is incredibly deceptive,” Van Hollen said.

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Blanche said he would appoint four members, and a fifth would be appointed in consultation with Senate leaders. He said much of the commission’s work will be publicly reported, though some details may be withheld because of privacy concerns.

The commission will stop considering claims on Dec. 1, 2028 — a timeline that coincides with the end of Trump’s second term.

Van Hollen also pressed Blanche about whether people who attacked Capitol Police during the Jan. 6, 2021 riots would be eligible.

“Anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they were victim of weaponization,” Blanche said.

Nearly 100 House Democrats have signed a legal brief urging a judge block the fund from moving forward.

This is a developing story.