US President Donald Trump is taking a series of actions that, according to legal experts and former government officials, could limit future investigations against him and his allies while simultaneously expanding presidential power, CNN writes.
The Justice Department announced on Monday the creation of a $ 1.776 billion fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump who claim they were unfairly attacked by the previous administration. It is an unprecedented move that would allow the president's administration to pay his supporters from a government agency he controls with taxpayer money.
Critics say the mechanism could discourage cooperation with future congressional or other investigations and provide protection for those close to the president.
The agreement stems from a lawsuit Trump filed against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for improperly releasing his tax returns. A later addendum to the deal extends protections not only to tax matters but also to potential lawsuits against the president, his family and businesses related to conduct before May 19.
Former government lawyers and constitutional experts told CNN that Trump is using the expanded powers of the presidency, supported by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court of the United States, to weaken traditional checks on executive power.
"What we are now seeing is a dramatic swing of the pendulum in favor of more executive power consolidated in the president himself, which is no longer dispersed," said Professor Adam Zimmerman of the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California. "We also see someone who is willing to use that power to push it to the limit."
According to critics, the administration is both punishing those involved in investigations against Trump and rewarding his supporters. Prosecutors and staff who worked on the investigations into the Capitol storming and the cases of special counsel Jack Smith were fired, and the contempt of Congress case against Steve Bannon was dropped.
Trump is also pardoning those accused and convicted of the Capitol storming, and administration officials have not ruled out the possibility that some of them could receive funds from the new fund.
"He is sending a stronger signal every day that if you commit a crime in his name, you have nothing to worry about. "You will actually be celebrated and possibly rewarded financially," said Greg Nunziata of the Rule of Law Society.
The Justice Department defended the fund, saying it was created to "seek accountability for every American who has been unjustly attacked for their beliefs."
At the same time, the administration has challenged a number of oversight mechanisms put in place after the Watergate scandal. These include the Presidential Records Act, the independence of federal agencies, and Congress's authority over budget spending.
Early in his second term, Trump fired several inspectors general charged with investigating abuses in government institutions. Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced that the president is not required to fully comply with the Presidential Records Act, which requires the White House to archive documents.
Legal experts warn that the combination of presidential immunity, expanded firing powers and controls over federal spending could significantly weaken Congress's oversight capabilities, especially if Democrats regain control of one of the two chambers after the midterm elections.