Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett says taxpayer dollars should not become a “slush fund” for political allies as new legislation targets settlements linked to alleged government “weaponization.”
According to a press release from Congresswoman Crockett’s office, the Texas Democrat is taking aim at what she says could become a taxpayer funded pipeline for political settlements and payouts benefiting President Donald Trump, his allies and individuals connected to the January 6 Capitol attack.
On Tuesday, Crockett introduced the “Stop Taxpayer funded Reimbursement for Unlawful Misconduct by Presidents Act”, also known as the “STOP TRUMP Act”, legislation designed to prohibit federal dollars from being used for settlements, compensation programs and reimbursement efforts tied to claims involving alleged government “weaponization.”
The proposal arrives as political battles continue over investigations involving Trump and his associates, with Crockett arguing that Americans already facing financial pressure should not be footing the bill for what she described as political retaliation efforts.
“Working families are struggling to afford groceries, gas, rent, and healthcare. The last thing taxpayers should be forced to do is bankroll political revenge tours and payouts for Donald Trump and his cronies,” Crockett said in the release.
She continued, “This bill makes it clear that taxpayer dollars are not a personal slush fund for presidents, political loyalists, or extremists who participated in an attack on our democracy.”
What The STOP TRUMP Act Would Mean
According to the bill text, the legislation would create broad restrictions on how federal money could be used in matters involving the president and individuals connected to political claims.
The proposed legislation would prohibit federal funding, including money from the federal Judgment Fund, from being used to settle or pay claims involving the president, immediate family members, affiliated entities, political appointees or individuals designated for compensation.
The legislation specifically references January 6 participants.
The bill would also prohibit taxpayer funded compensation commissions, reimbursement programs or similar mechanisms created around allegations of political targeting or governmental “weaponization.”
Additional language in the legislation places restrictions on the Department of Justice by preventing it from representing cases in which a president could personally or politically benefit from litigation outcomes.
The proposal also includes repayment provisions. According to the bill text, anyone receiving funds unlawfully would be required to repay them and the Treasury Department could recover those funds through methods including offsets against tax refunds, grants and other federal payments.
Violating agreements could also be deemed legally void and unenforceable in federal court.
Crockett Expands Her Argument During Heated Hearing
TheGrio states that the legislation itself focuses on policy and federal spending, Crockett expanded on her criticism days later during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, where discussions centered on the work of the Southern Poverty Law Center and extremist organizations.
During the hearing, Crockett shifted attention toward groups connected to January 6 participants and criticized what she characterized as efforts that could reward extremist movements.
“Let me be clear. Proud Boys are freaking white supremacists. Neo Nazis are too. And this president, who loves to coddle white supremacists, has decided that they should be given checks,” Crockett said.
According to theGrio, Crockett repeatedly referred to an alleged anti weaponization fund as a “slush fund” while arguing that taxpayer dollars should not financially benefit organizations or individuals tied to extremist ideologies.
“It is clear that neo Nazis as well as Proud Boys joined in on January 6. Yet this slush fund that they keep talking about is specifically to give them money,” she said.
Crockett also connected the issue to larger conversations surrounding race, political power and historic inequities.
“You’re telling me the two billion dollars in the same country that still hasn’t thought that reparations made sense for Black folk in this country, but at the same time, they’ve decided that people that are in organizations that are absolutely white supremacy organizations should get our tax dollars,” she said.
The legislation now heads into the congressional process, where lawmakers will determine whether the proposal advances beyond committee consideration.
