State’s governor looks to thwart US president’s plan to divert money to allies, including January 6 rioters
California governor Gavin Newsom is looking to thwart Donald Trump’s $1.776bn “anti-weaponization fund” by imposing a 100% tax on any payout received by state residents.
In May, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced a fund to compensate alleged “victims of lawfare and weaponization”. It’s unclear who qualifies under this category.
The fund was the product of a settlement reached between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – the agency the president sued over his leaked tax returns.
Critics, including Newsom, have slammed the fund as a “boondoggle” designed to divert money to Trump’s allies. Speculation has swirled that its benefactors could include the individuals who were arrested in the 6 January 2021 siege of the US Capitol. The Trump administration has described the rioters as patriots and since pardoned many who were charged in relation to the attack.
I like Newsom’s energy in getting attention to another of the administration’s illegal actions
…. But can this actually happen or is it just noise?
Proceeds of crime, people. It’s not a tax: it’s simple confiscation.
The recipients are secret, but at least they’ll be committing crimes when they don’t declare the income on their taxes.
Newsom: *moves up 1 in the 2028 standings*
Lemmyleft: *rends garment*
Make it 101%. Or 200%.
How every democrat should respond to Republican aggression.
Crazy their state constitution allows the governor to just unilaterally impose taxes like this, I would have thought that would be something their legislature has to do
I’m pretty sure he’s not imposing it unilaterally, but sending a bill to the Democrat-controlled California legislature, where it will easily pass. He’s also in good company, with several other governors introducing similar legislation in their own states:
Ah, so he’s not actually doing anything anyone else couldn’t do, he’s just asking other people to do something. That makes more sense but I would not have gotten that out of this headline.
