$1.8B fund ‘top of the list of the most corrupt things’ Trump has done: Dem Rep.

[0:00] Right now, I'm joined by Congressman from California, Robert Garcia. He is the top [0:04] Democrat on the House Oversight Committee and a friend to this show. It's good to see you again, [0:08] sir. So first on these protests outside the detention center in New Jersey, [0:13] your colleague, Senator Andy Kim, was pepper sprayed by officers. Local officials are [0:17] trying to balance how to manage the outcry over detainee treatment and not giving ICE a reason to [0:23] overstep. You have Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen, who disputes all the allegations [0:29] and accusations that the conditions are inhumane. So what can be done to address this situation? [0:37] Look, if they're going to pepper spray one of the most peaceful and kind members of the U.S. Senate, [0:44] they're going to be pepper spraying a whole bunch of folks who are peacefully protesting [0:48] and being much too aggressive. At the end of the day, the vast majority of the folks that are coming [0:53] out are there peacefully. They are trying to bring attention to the horrific conditions of what's [0:59] actually happening inside. They're trying to bring attention to the fact that people with no [1:04] criminal records are being held, some with no explanation to their families. And so it is [1:10] important to highlight the real atrocities that are happening within ICE and DHS, but of course doing [1:16] in a way that's peaceful. And so I commend Senator Kim. I commend the other members of Congress [1:21] who are out there getting access, talking to people inside. And we've been doing that across the [1:26] country. Look, the reality is that many of us, when we have tried to visit these detention centers, [1:30] we get denied. I was denied months ago trying to visit a center here in Los Angeles. And so [1:35] it's only been through the courts who we've been pushing for more action and access. [1:40] Let's talk about the Senate Republicans who left town ditching plans to support a measure [1:45] funding Trump's $70 billion immigration crackdown. It was over their opposition to the $1.8 billion [1:50] so-called anti-weaponization fund. That fund is now under increased scrutiny by the courts, [1:56] and it's temporarily blocked from making any payouts. How will Congress work through this divide when it [2:02] returns this week? Well, I hope they realize that the American public certainly does. This is the most [2:07] corrupt administration and the most corrupt president in the history of this country. And [2:12] that slush fund is at the top of the list of the most corrupt things that he has done. I mean, [2:17] $1.8 billion that he can then—by the way that he negotiated with himself, he is the government, [2:24] he negotiated that with himself, that he can give out to election deniers, to January Sixers that [2:29] attacked law enforcement and our Capitol, so his family could possibly benefit from that fund as [2:34] well. I mean, just insanity. The president right now is doing things that are so corrupt and in the [2:41] open public that people are finally starting to see the truth. Republicans are finally starting [2:46] to push back. What's really embarrassing is that Mike Johnson has yet to say nothing. The Speaker of [2:53] the House has yet to condemn this fund, and is essentially running away from the press because [2:57] it doesn't want to be asked questions about the slush fund that Donald Trump is trying to create for [3:01] himself. And I'm glad that the courts are finally coming in and slowing down this massive corruption. [3:08] All right, let's stick into this New York Times report about it, because it says that Trump's [3:12] private attorney, Boris Epstein, and others quietly negotiated that 1776 fund, the one you're referring [3:18] to, 1.8, but those are the specific numbers. They did so with Justice Department officials as a way to [3:24] escape the judge's scrutiny that Trump, to your point, was on both sides of his $10 billion lawsuit [3:29] against the IRS, which, of course, he oversees. A judge is now asking both parties if they deceived [3:36] her. Do you think they did? And will Congress have any success stepping in and stopping this [3:41] deal from happening? [3:42] Of course they deceived her. And look, let's be really clear. Does anyone, for a minute, [3:49] does anyone not believe that Donald Trump wasn't aware of the deal that was being created here by [3:53] his own folks? I mean, he, of course, sues the government that he's in charge of for the initial [4:00] billions of dollars, the IRS, and then settles to create a fund for himself that he can give out to [4:07] whoever he wants, including likely members of his inner circle and family. This is just pure corruption. [4:14] And so, finally, people are waking up, even in the Republican Party. You're starting to hear some of [4:19] them come out. Now, look, as it relates to Democrats, we have legislation that we filed. [4:23] We're supporting multiple bills to stop these types of funds. But it goes beyond that. We've not [4:28] only got to stop these funds, we've got to stop the illegal and corruption in the pardon system that [4:32] Donald Trump is doing, how he enriches himself off these crypto schemes that he's putting in place, [4:36] where people just dump foreign money, how his sons continue to benefit for his company [4:41] as they do real estate deals in countries that he's doing diplomacy in or trying to. And so, [4:48] the level of corruption are reasons why Oversight's so engaged in investigating, [4:53] why we're going to be investigating any person that accepts these funds. We're going to investigate, [4:58] and surely the judge is right. This fund's got to be stopped. [5:02] Let's pivot to what you and a group of Oversight Committee members did, which was question [5:07] former Attorney General Pam Bondi about her handling of the Epstein files this week. And [5:11] she has since come out refuting your claim that she deflected responsibility to her then-deputy, [5:16] Todd Blanche. She posted on X, quote, [5:19] not true. I praised acting A.G. Blanche's management of this Herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach [5:25] and that he is an incredible attorney general. Can you explain here that you said, [5:30] you said, she said? What did she bring to your investigation? [5:35] Well, first, there wouldn't even have to be a back and forth if James Comer had accepted our request [5:40] to ensure the interview would be videotaped, released to the public, and under oath. But instead, [5:45] he wants to be part of this cover-up. And so they refused to allow her to be videotaped. So now, [5:50] of course, Pam Bondi is trying to say certain things. Look, they should release the transcript. [5:55] She deflected to Todd Blanche and essentially said that he was in charge of the files over 30 [6:01] times. I mean, maybe she had one line where she said good things about him. But over 30 times, [6:07] she actually talked about, well, no, it was Todd Blanche who was in charge of the files. It was Todd Blanche [6:11] that worked out the deal for Ghislaine Maxwell or that was involved in that. Not me, not Pam Bondi. [6:20] And so I think it's pretty comical that she's trying to play a little bit of cleanup. And let's [6:23] also remember that during that entire interview, sitting next to her was a top Department of [6:29] Justice lawyer that was whispering in her ear. Harmony Dillon. Yeah. [6:33] Harmony Dillon that was telling her, oh, don't answer that. And Alex, I asked, [6:37] I asked Pam Bondi five different questions about Donald Trump. What he knew about the files, [6:42] if he directed her, a variety of things. She wouldn't answer a single question about Donald [6:47] Trump. In fact, she would say, I'm not going to answer questions about President Trump. [6:50] And the lawyer would chime in and say, we're not answering questions about Donald Trump. [6:53] Give me a break. He's at the center. He's in the files almost more than anybody else. [6:57] And we're not going to stop till we get the truth. [6:59] When do you think we'll get the transcript of the Pam Bondi? [7:04] I hope in the next few days. It should have been released the day of, and it should have been videotaped. [7:07] But that transcript needs to come out. And you'll see that the amount of time she deflected a Todd [7:12] Blanche, the amount of time she wouldn't answer questions, refusing to answer anything about [7:17] President Trump and the DOJ lawyer, highly unethical, by the way, for there to be a DOJ lawyer [7:22] now representing a former AG, telling her and stopping her from answering questions about [7:27] President Trump. Very interesting. Congressman Garcia, you always bring the [7:32] interesting stuff. Thank you very much. Good to see you.