State’s governor looks to thwart US president’s plan to divert money to allies, including January 6 rioters
California governor Gavin Newsom is looking to thwart Donald Trump’s $1.776bn “anti-weaponization fund” by imposing a 100% tax on any payout received by state residents.
In May, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced a fund to compensate alleged “victims of lawfare and weaponization”. It’s unclear who qualifies under this category.
The fund was the product of a settlement reached between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – the agency the president sued over his leaked tax returns.
Critics, including Newsom, have slammed the fund as a “boondoggle” designed to divert money to Trump’s allies. Speculation has swirled that its benefactors could include the individuals who were arrested in the 6 January 2021 siege of the US Capitol. The Trump administration has described the rioters as patriots and since pardoned many who were charged in relation to the attack.
I’m pretty sure he’s not imposing it unilaterally, but sending a bill to the Democrat-controlled California legislature, where it will easily pass. He’s also in good company, with several other governors introducing similar legislation in their own states:
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/27/newsom-vows-100-percent-tax-on-doj-anti-weaponization-fund-payouts-00939587
Ah, so he’s not actually doing anything anyone else couldn’t do, he’s just asking other people to do something. That makes more sense but I would not have gotten that out of this headline.
That’s because both he and the people who hate him get a benefit out of pitting him against Trump. So they’ll get more ad revenue with that headline.
But an average person trying to get this bill through the legislature committees, and both chambers, and signed by the governor, would face a much longer process. Whereas it’s fast-tracked by being pre-approved by Newsom and written up by a legal team with a proven record.
I do think it’s an excellent idea, for as long as Trump is in charge of who’s getting money. If sanity ever returns to the White House and deserving people like E. Jean Carroll start to be eligible, the percentage could be adjusted.