Overview
- Trump acknowledged seeking compensation and said any decision "would have to go across my desk," asserting he was "owed a lot of money."
- He filed two administrative claims in 2023 and 2024 tied to the Russia inquiry and the FBI’s 2022 Mar-a-Lago search, a standard step that can precede a lawsuit.
- Under DOJ policy, any settlement over $4 million requires approval by the deputy or associate attorney general, roles now held by former Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Stanley Woodward; the department says officials follow career ethics guidance.
- An August 2024 claim reviewed by the Associated Press alleges privacy violations and "malicious prosecution" related to the Mar-a-Lago case and names Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray and Jack Smith; Smith dropped the documents charges last November under DOJ policy on indicting a sitting president.
- House Judiciary Committee Democrats opened an investigation led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, noting any payout would come from taxpayers, while the status of the DOJ review and any recusals remains unclear.