‘Doesn’t Matter How Gay’: Harmeet Dhillon Slams MLB Amid Federal Pride Hat Investigation
'They have a right to not be forced'
Trump administration DEFIES ultimatum from Clinton judge on anti-weaponization fund
The Department of Justice rejected a judge's ultimatum on the "anti-weaponization fund" and called it a breach of the separation of powers doctrine.
President Donald Trump agreed to drop a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the formation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate the victims of weaponization of government in previous administrations.
'Judges do not get to insert themselves into the department's routine settlement authority.'
In response to a lawsuit over the fund, the government argued that the point was moot after Attorney General Todd Blanche testified to Congress that the fund was dead.
"We are not moving forward with the fund. Period," Blanche said clearly.
However, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema cited statements from the president supporting the fund and Blanche's reluctance to provide a written guarantee as evidence that the administration still sought to establish it.
Brinkema then gave the government a week to provide declarations under penalty of perjury from Blanche as well as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. She warned that if they failed to do so, she would allow a lawsuit against the government to proceed.
On Friday, the DOJ responded that the statements were unnecessary and constituted a "serious" violation of the separation of powers among the branches of government.
"It is telling that even after the federal court gave them a week, the acting attorney general and other senior administration officials continue to refuse to say under oath that the Slush Fund is dead and won't operate in the future," Democracy Forward president and CEO Skye Perryman said.
The organization is representing the plaintiffs, a coalition that includes a former federal prosecutor and two nonprofits.
"Nor have they provided any information under oath about their compliance with the court's prior directives," Perryman added.
A spokesperson for the DOJ told the Washington Examiner that the judge was improperly inserting herself into the lawsuit settlement.
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"The DOJ has already twice filed in court that the fund isn't moving ahead, coupled with Blanche's repeated testimony before Congress that the fund isn't moving forward," the spokesperson said.
"In essence, the judge's demand for declarations was an attempt to require her to personally sign-off on any and all future settlements, separate and apart from the Fund, that the department may make," the spokesperson added. "Judges do not get to insert themselves into the department's routine settlement authority."
Democrats and some Republicans have voiced opposition to the fund based on the critique that it would be a slush fund to reward the president's supporters and allies.
Brinkema was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton in 1993.
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Gavin Newsom cries political witch hunt — but are feds focused on an alleged $1.5M nonprofit pipeline to wife's business?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has accused President Donald Trump of “coming after” him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, claiming that the president directed the Department of Justice to investigate the couple.
Newsom posted a video on social media on Monday, stating that he and his wife had “joined Donald Trump’s hit list” because the governor is “considering running for president.”
'It has been apparent ever since their maskless dinner party at the French Laundry during COVID that the Newsoms feel themselves above the law.'
Newsom, who referred to Trump as “the most corrupt president in American history,” claimed that federal agents had “knocked on the doors of family, friends, and former employees.”
“Not because they found a crime, because they’re simply trying to find one,” Newsom stated, adding that the federal agents were “digging through years and years of random documents.”
“To get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen, a public servant, a woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls,” Newsom continued.
“We have nothing to hide,” he added.
Newsom’s office stated that it believes grand jury subpoenas had been issued for records to financial institutions, ABC News reported. The governor’s office submitted a public records request seeking “all documents and records” from the DOJ that pertain to Newsom and his wife from the beginning of the second Trump administration.
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A source familiar with the situation informed Blaze News that multiple ongoing investigations relating to Newsom have been initiated since last year by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California. One of those investigations concerns Siebel Newsom’s tax activities, and a separate probe concerns Newsom’s former chief of staff and potentially current staff members, the source confirmed. Local sources and whistleblowers reportedly triggered the investigations.
Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker, leads two tax-exempt nonprofits, the Representation Project and the California Partners Project. She also runs a film production company, Girls' Club Entertainment LLC, and works as a director for her family’s private foundation, the Siebel Family Charitable Foundation.
The Sacramento Bee previously reported potential conflict-of-interest concerns related to one of Siebel Newsom’s nonprofits, writing, “In 2015, the year Newsom announced he would run for governor, the Representation Project’s contributions increased by 30% to almost $1.6 million.”
The Representation Project’s tax filings show that the nonprofit funneled over $1.5 million to Siebel Newsom’s for-profit production company from 2015 through the first quarter of 2025. Siebel Newsom has received roughly $150,000 to $160,000 annually as the founder and chief creative officer for the Representation Project, which reported revenue of $1.2 million from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025.
It is unclear whether Siebel Newsom receives compensation from the other two nonprofits, though tax filings from the Siebel Family Charitable Foundation indicate she does not draw a salary there, and she is not listed on the tax filings for California Partners Project.
Tax documents from 2015 to 2023 showed that the Siebel Family Charitable Foundation gave $35,000 in charitable donations, classified as “support,” to the Representation Project.
"It has been apparent ever since their maskless dinner party at the French Laundry during COVID that the Newsoms feel themselves above the law,” Michael Chamberlain, the director of the government watchdog Protect the Public's Trust, told Blaze News.
"What is interesting is that the accusations of financial corruption originated in Sacramento," Chamberlain continued. "If the governor of a one-party state like California is feeling heat from his own capital, it would be no surprise if people tended to ignore his protestations of politicized justice and believe there may be some egregious self-dealing going on."
The second alleged investigation is likely tied to Dana Williamson, who previously served as Newsom’s chief of staff and is a former consultant for current Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Xavier Becerra. Williamson pleaded guilty in May to three counts related to campaign finance fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to federal investigators.
Williamson was caught up in a scandal in which she was accused of conspiring with Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff, and a Sacramento lobbyist to funnel $225,000 from Becerra’s state campaign account to McCluskie. McCluskie also accepted a plea deal.
Williamson’s lawyer stated that she “never had any direct communication with Xavier Becerra about this.” Becerra’s campaign has insisted that he was unaware of the scheme.
When reached for comment, Gov. Newsom’s office referred Blaze News to previously published statements and provided a fact sheet that accused Trump of turning the DOJ “into a political weapon against his opponents.”
“Unable to uncover evidence of a crime, Trump’s DOJ then shifted to searching for a crime that does not exist at the president’s directive,” the fact sheet reads.
The White House deferred comment to the DOJ, which declined to provide a statement.
The Representation Project, California Partners Project, and the Siebel family’s wealth management advisory firm did not respond to a request for comment.
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Education Department Takes Further Steps To Dismantle Itself
The Department of Education announced Tuesday that it has entered agreements with the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transfer more of its responsibilities to other agencies, prepping the Education Department to one day be shut down for good. On a press call, senior department officials confirmed that […]FBI Raids Leftist Group With History Of Suspect Voter Registration Practices
The Ohio Organizing Collaborative has ties to a voter canvassing group with a 'bad reputation' for suspected fraudulent voter registrations.Senate Should Ignore National Review’s Never-Trump Droning And Confirm Todd Blanche As AG
What National Review really objects to is not Todd Blanche’s extensive experience but a member of his client list: President Donald Trump.'Come after me': Gavin Newsom challenges Trump after claiming DOJ is investigating his wife
California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom says that he and his wife are under investigation by the Department of Justice and claims the president ordered the probe.
Newsom accused President Donald Trump of targeting him because he "consistently" calls out the president, who he said was the most corrupt in U.S. history.
'We have nothing to hide. Mr. President, come after me.'
"Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us," the governor wrote in a post on social media Monday.
"They have not found a crime — they are simply trying to find one," he added. "He isn't coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for President."
Newsom posted a video in which he expanded on the accusations.
"He's coming after my wife, Jen, a public servant, a woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls, someone who has done nothing wrong other than having the temerity to advocate for what she believes in," he said. "If they can't intimidate me, they'll go after the mother of our children."
He then addressed the president directly.
"I have a message for you," Newsom said. "You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta."
He also apologized to his wife over the investigation and said that investigators looking for corruption should look at Trump instead.
The DOJ declined a request for comment from NBC News.
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Newsom has previously positioned his administration in California as the foremost state opposition to Trump and his policies. Many believe the rhetoric is intended to amplify Newsom as a possible presidential candidate for 2028.
"We have nothing to hide. Mr. President, come after me," he concluded. "I am not going anywhere. The country is watching."
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