1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I just read about Donald Trump’s $1.776 billion “settlement” fund and the IRS agreement that neither he nor his sons will be audited by going forward. This is an outrageous, open theft from the American people that must be stopped. There is no legal basis for this fund and allowing it to stand would signal the end of our democracy. Pilfering public funds and using governmental power to protect oneself are hallmarks of authoritarianism. It is clear that Trump intends to use this fund to enrich his supporters. The U.S. Constitution has multiple provisions - including giving the power of the purse to Congress - intended to prevent an action such as this. Stopping this should be the sole focus of Congress at this point. It may seem that other issues are more pressing, but if this theft is allowed to stand we will never get to those issues anyway. The U.S. will be on the path of failure walked by other nations ruled by authoritarians. Do everything you can to stop this. Hold up the budget. Pass a law. Impeach the President. Shut down the government. Whatever you do, do not ignore this terrible step or pretend it means nothing.