Trump says he deserves millions for “unfair” federal investigations

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that the federal government owes him “a lot of money” for past Justice Department investigations into his conduct, including the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago property and the Trump-Russia probe. He added that he would have the “final say” on any compensation, saying, “That decision would have to go across my desk.”

Trump’s remarks came after The New York Times reported that he had filed administrative claims seeking around $230 million in damages for what he described as politically motivated investigations. The claims reportedly cover the Mar-a-Lago search — where classified documents were found — and the earlier investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump told reporters he was not aware of the specific dollar figures and had not discussed the matter in detail with officials, but added: “All I know is that they owe me a lot of money.” He also joked that if he received any payout, he might use it to fund a new White House ballroom.

The Justice Department, responding to the issue, stated that all officials “follow the guidance of career ethics officials” when dealing with such matters. One of Trump’s former defense lawyers in the Mar-a-Lago case, Todd Blanche, now serves as deputy attorney general — raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Trump has long maintained that the investigations were politically motivated attempts by the Biden administration to damage his presidential ambitions. One of the claims filed in August 2024 described the Mar-a-Lago case as a “malicious prosecution” designed to harm his campaign.

While the Justice Department’s special counsel Jack Smith initially pursued criminal charges against Trump, those charges were dropped last year following department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted.

The second claim reportedly seeks damages for the long-concluded Russia investigation, which Trump continues to denounce as a “witch hunt.”

(AP)