Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump negotiates $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies for alleged DOJ weaponization — Trump is in talks to drop his $10 billion IRS lawsuit in exchange for the government establishing a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded account to compensate Trump's allies who claim they were harmed by the Biden administration's alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice. Eligible recipients would include nearly 1,600 people convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, whom Trump pardoned or commuted shortly after taking office in January 2025. While Trump himself will likely be barred from direct payments, entities associated with him will not be.
• Trump DOJ creates $1.7 billion compensation fund for January 6 defendants and Trump allies — The Trump administration is expected to settle Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS by creating a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded compensation fund to pay individuals and entities claiming wrongful targeting by the Biden administration. The fund would compensate approximately 1,600 January 6 Capitol attack defendants and potentially Trump-associated entities. Trump would retain authority to remove commission members without cause, and the commission would operate with minimal disclosure requirements or oversight of its decision-making process for distributing over $1 billion in public funds.
• Trump administration considers $1.7 billion compensation fund for allies investigated under Biden — The Trump administration is reportedly considering a $1.7 billion fund to compensate President Trump's allies and others who claim they were harmed by Justice Department investigations during the Biden administration. The fund could cover legal costs for people in Trump's orbit and potentially extend to some of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack. The administration has discussed modeling the program on past federal settlement funds, with possible payments through the Treasury Department's Judgment Fund. The proposal has not been finalized or approved.
• White House and DOJ explore settlement of Trump's $10 billion IRS lawsuit — The New York Times reported that the White House and Justice Department are exploring a settlement in Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS for releasing his tax returns. ABC News reported that Trump is expected to settle in exchange for launching a $1.7 billion compensation fund for his allies, including those pardoned for Jan. 6 involvement, with a Trump-controlled commission overseeing distribution and recipient identities potentially kept private. The settlement would use taxpayer funds to reward political allies.

Supporting reports

• AI industry funds Innovation Council led by January 6 operative to boost MAGA candidates — The AI industry has hired Taylor Budowich, a key operative in efforts to overturn the 2020 election, to lead the Innovation Council, a new group planning to spend $100 million to boost Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. Budowich previously directed over $200,000 in advertisements to build crowds for the January 6, 2021 attack and founded MAGA Inc., Trump's main Super PAC. The Innovation Council is organized as a nonprofit to avoid disclosing donors or filing with the Federal Election Commission, maintaining donor anonymity through complex organizational structures.
• Leading the Future PAC spent more on attacking Democrat than supporting Democrats — Leading the Future, a pro-AI PAC that raised over $125 million and claims to be bipartisan, has spent approximately $2.9 million supporting Republicans and $2.5 million supporting Democrats. However, the PAC's Democratic affiliate, Think Big, spent $2.3 million attacking Democrat Alex Bores running for Congress in New York. The Democrats supported by the PAC, Jesse Jackson Jr. and Melissa Bean, are running in historically blue Illinois districts where Republican candidates are unlikely to win.
• Leading the Future pledged $5 million to support Byron Donalds' gubernatorial campaign — Leading the Future, the pro-AI PAC claiming bipartisan support, pledged to spend $5 million in support of Representative Byron Donalds' (R-FL) campaign for Florida Governor. This spending was reportedly an effort to solidify the PAC's relationship with the White House, demonstrating how corporate political spending is used to maintain access and influence with the Trump administration.
• Innovation Council created pages describing AI concerns as "hoaxes" — The Innovation Council, led by Taylor Budowich, created a series of web pages that describe concerns about AI job displacement, data center energy use, and safety as "hoaxes." The pages were later taken offline but were indexed by the Bing search engine. The group's public website features materials created by the Trump White House.
• Meta created multiple Super PACs with $65 million in funding — Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, created multiple new pro-AI Super PACs: Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California, which received $20 million, and the American Technology Excellence Project (ATEP), which received $45 million. While Meta indicated the PACs would support bipartisan candidates, the ATEP appears to favor Republicans, with spending concentrated in Illinois and Texas. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was appointed to Trump's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.
• Andreessen appointed to Trump's science advisory council after major political donations — Marc Andreessen, a cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz, was appointed to Trump's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Andreessen and his partner Ben Horowitz each donated $12.5 million to Leading the Future, a pro-AI PAC, and both had previously donated millions to a Super PAC supporting Trump in the 2024 election. Andreessen's appointment follows this pattern of corporate political investment followed by executive branch access.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration pulls grant funding from American Bar Association — The Trump administration canceled federal grant funding for the American Bar Association after it criticized Trump. A judge temporarily blocked the cancellation, highlighting the administration's use of funding as a tool for political retaliation.