President Donald Trump says the government owes him money for investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the probe into classified documents.
The New York Times reports that President Trump could seek up to $230 million in damages. While the president would not confirm the amount, he suggested that any money he received — which would come from taxpayer funds — could be donated to charity.
President Trump and his attorneys argue that he was harassed and that his rights were violated during the investigations.
“President Trump continues to fight back against all Democrat-led Witch Hunts, including the ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax and the unconstitutional and un-American weaponization of our justice system by Crooked Joe Biden and his handlers," a spokesperson for President Trump’s legal team told Scripps News.
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President Trump initially appeared surprised by the report when pressed at the White House on Tuesday.
The president added that he would be the one to make the decision about any potential payment because “that decision would have to go across my desk.”
"It's awfully strange to make a decision where I'm paying myself," President Trump said.
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Justice Department manuals state that settlements above a certain threshold must be approved by the deputy or associate attorney general.
However, critics note that President Trump has appointed top officials at the Department of Justice, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was part of the president's legal team.
When asked whether officials could be conflicted, a Justice Department spokesperson said, “In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials.”
