Trump allies quickly take action against Jack Smith in House DOJ spending bill.
Former President Trump’s allies are gearing up to strip funding from Special Counsel Jack Smith, a move that has stirred controversy among House GOP negotiators. While the Justice Department spending bill for the upcoming year does not explicitly target Smith’s funds, Republicans like Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia are vowing to introduce amendments to block taxpayer dollars from supporting the prosecution of a presidential candidate.
Rep. Clyde expressed his disappointment that his proposal did not make it into the base text of the bill but remains optimistic about amending it during the legislative process. He specifically called out Fani Willis, Alvin Bragg, and Jack Smith as recipients of federal funds for their ongoing investigations.
In a daring move, House GOP members, including powerful figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, are rallying to slash the Justice Department’s budget by nearly $1 billion. Additionally, they plan to trim the FBI’s funding by 3.5% and block the construction of a new bureau headquarters in Maryland.
The fight doesn’t stop there. Rep. Jordan is determined to push for cuts to the investigations targeting Trump in Georgia and New York within the CJS bill, highlighting the ongoing battle between Republicans and Democrats over the allocation of funds and the direction of law enforcement efforts.
Efforts to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith have also gained traction, with Speaker Mike Johnson emphasizing the need for accountability and oversight in the investigative process. While the House Appropriations Committee is currently reviewing the CJS appropriations bill, challenges lie ahead in getting such provisions past the Democrat-controlled Senate.
As the political arena heats up with discussions around funding for Trump’s prosecutions and the role of special counsels, the fate of these amendments remains uncertain. Whether the final bill will include measures to restrict Smith’s resources, or if it will face strong opposition in the Senate, only time will tell.
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