Donald Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" settlement fund has stunned legal experts—not just because it's corrupt, but because of how skillfully and transparently it is designed to protect the Trump Family and reward loyalists. On this week's Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick brings together two of the sharpest observers of Trump-era lawlessness to map exactly what this is and why it matters.J.P. Cooney, a career federal prosecutor and former top deputy in Jack Smith's special counsel's office, explains how President Trump sued his own IRS as a private party, settled the case through attorneys who have also been his personal lawyers, and then secured an addendum—signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche—immunizing Trump and his family from any IRS audit or tax-enforcement proceeding. Cooney calls it "practiced, skillful corruption".&nbsp;As Investigative journalist Andrea Bernstein, host of <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/the-law-according-to-trump" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Law According to Trump</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp//?tag=slatmaga-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Oligarchs</a>, and a veteran of five Trump trials, points out, this settlement enshrines Trumpian language— such as "unlawful raid at Mar-a-Lago" and "Russia collusion hoax"—in official U.S. government documents. Bernstein says it’s vital to be clear about&nbsp; who stands to receive payouts: people convicted of seditious conspiracy, assaulting Capitol police officers, and other crimes they admitted to in open court.&nbsp;Cooney and Bernstein agree this fund doesn't just reward insurrection—it incentivizes future violence, chills legitimate dissent, and systematically erases the historical record of Jan. 6.&nbsp;Later, Slate executive editor Susan Matthews joins to preview the new season of Slow Burn, <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s11/becoming-justice-gorsuch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Becoming Justice Gorsuch</a>—and explain why the most anonymous justice on the court is so pivotal to understanding the power and the politics of the highest court in the land.&nbsp;Un-paywalled episodes' description:Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amicus-with-dahlia-lithwick-law-justice-and-the-courts/id928790786" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7DpL32jgjwBTah8o9HQkBl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. Or, visit <a href="https://slate.com/podcast-plus?utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=plus_pod&utm_content=Amicus&utm_source=show_summary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slate.com/amicusplus</a> to get access wherever you listen.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our <a href="https://slate.com/podcastfaqs#plusbenefits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQ</a> at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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Trump’s Slush Fund Is Even Worse Than You Thought

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

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