Republicans must wake up to the purpose of Donald Trump's slush fund: He will use the money to bribe fealty from the GOP

Outrage Over Trump’s 💲1.8 Billion Slush Fund

Echo opinion letters published in The New York Times

To the Editor: Re “Risking Wrath of Trump, Some in G.O.P. Push Back” (front page, May 23):

Congressional "Growing Old Party" Republicans may be nowhere near defying Donald Trump’s sweeping right-wing agenda, but the opposition of some senators to the president’s outrageous 💲1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund scheme to finance claims of mistreatment and possibly to support anew the grievances of January 6 felons is a positive departure from second-term blind subservience to Donald Trump by Republicans in both chambers.

For Donald Trump, though, pardoning the felons who desecrated the Capitol, brutalized police officers, defecating in the halls and tried to violently interfere with the certification of a presidential election was clearly not enough. Now, stooping to a new low of lawlessness himself, the president may seek to reward these people by offering them restitution, provided directly by American taxpayers.

With his years long, twisted interpretation of the horrendous attack on the Capitol, Donald Trump has sought to justify lawlessness that he personally orchestrated and encouraged. Now, finally, Senate Republicans — some of whom are taking a firm stand on the 💲1.8 billion fund — have found the courage to openly express opposition to Trump’s slush fund scheme. At long last, it’s a meaningful challenge to Trump's tight grip on them. (Maine Writer- Ya'think the maga cult knows how Trump's slush fund will also be used to keep them in kowtow positions❓)

From Roger Hirschberg in South Burlington, Vermont

To the Editor: Republican senators expressed outrage at Donald Trump’s plan to create a slush fund from which he would compensate cronies for having been investigated and in many cases convicted of crimes. So it seems that these sycophants can, indeed, distinguish between right and wrong.

The outrage was expressed mostly by senators who have either decided not to run again or who have been defeated in primaries. This scenario only underscores the cowardice of elected officials who have abandoned their sworn responsibility to serve the best interests of the nation in deference to their desire to remain in office. Shame on us for electing such corrupt people.

From Bill Gottdenker in Mountainside, New Jersey

To the Editor: Re “Curious Legal Aspects of Trump’s New Slush Fund,” by Adam Liptak (The Docket column, May 24):

Let’s use simple language to describe what is happening here: Donald Trump, aided by his sidekick Todd Blanche, is using a bogus nonadversarial court proceeding, with a too-clever “settlement,” as a fig leaf both to immunize himself, his family and his businesses from federal tax liability and audits, and to confiscate $1.776 billion of taxpayer money to be enjoyed by his friends and allies at the unreviewable discretion of a five-person commission controlled by Trump. A fairly audacious maneuver, one may say.

This travesty is, among other things, an egregious abuse of the federal court system. It is also an impeachable offense. (There has been no shortage of those in Trump’s second term to date.😡💢)

From Newman T. Halvorson Jr., Washington
The writer is a retired lawyer.