Mike Fanone Talks with Anderson Cooper About the $1.7 Billion Slush Fund

I joined Anderson Cooper 360 today to talk about the Trump DOJ’s new “anti-weaponization” fund — a $1.776 billion program that would pay out money to people the administration claims were targeted by the previous Justice Department.Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin called it exactly what it looks like: a slush fund. And as I said bluntly, nobody should be surprised. Jeffrey’s point was simple: the paperwork doesn’t clearly define what “weaponization” or “lawfare” even means, which gives the commission running the fund an enormous amount of discretion. And according to what he read in the underlying documents, the public may never learn who gets paid — the commission would report those details confidentially to the Attorney General.That’s what makes this so dangerous. It’s not just the amount of money. It’s the combination of money + discretion + secrecy — and the political intent behind it.I said what I’ve said from the start: this is Donald Trump using taxpayer money to reward the people who committed crimes on his behalf, including the criminals who attacked police officers on January 6th. I also pointed out the timing — coming on the heels of National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day — while this administration moves to compensate the very people who brutalized law enforcement at the Capitol.This isn’t normal. It isn’t patriotic. And the “1776” branding isn’t subtle — it’s deliberate.They want the number to sound like history. They want you to forget the violence. They want to wrap a payout to political allies in the language of American founding mythology.If you missed the segment, I’ll keep covering what comes next — including whether anyone can legally challenge the fund, and what this signals about where the Justice Department is headed from here.🟧 Paid subscribers get 15% off your next merch order🟧 Founding Members get 20% off for lifeYou’ll get the link in your welcome email.GET DISCOUNTS BELOW! ENJOY! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelfanone.substack.com/subscribe