Reed Slams AG Blanche on Trump's $1.776 Billion Slush Fund & Special Treatment for Ghislaine Maxwell

Añadido: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Mr. Blanch, how many taxpayers returns were leaked in by the IRS contractor in the 2020 breach?

[00:00:09]>> How many taxpayers? Excuse me.

[00:00:11]>> How many taxpayers returns were leaked by the IRS contractor in the 2020 breach?

[00:00:16]>> I don't know the exact amount, but a lot.

[00:00:19]>> Uh, 45,427.

[00:00:23]One of them was Donald Trump.

[00:00:25]>> Correct.

[00:00:27]>> One of them was Donald Trump. Correct.

[00:00:28]It was Donald Trump and his family or others. Correct.

[00:00:31]>> Right. And uh Donald Trump was president at the time.

[00:00:34]>> Correct.

[00:00:36]>> So it was his IRS department that allowed this breach of privacy. Correct.

[00:00:41]>> It was a criminal who worked in the IRS.

[00:00:43]Yes.

[00:00:46]>> Well, he was hired under Trump's ad.

[00:00:48]This is one of the Trump >> Well, there was a criminal breach that led to this. Yes.

[00:00:52]>> Very good. Uh, how many of these 400,000 people have received monetary reimbursement for the bridge?

[00:01:00]>> I don't think any have, including the president.

[00:01:02]>> No, they haven't. But you've authorized the president. Do you agree the president should have uh reimbursement?

[00:01:10]Correct.

[00:01:10]>> No, we settled the case. No, there's no reimbursement to President Trump.

[00:01:15]Well, interesting.

[00:01:18]>> So, President Trump, you're going to assure us President Trump and his family will get no proceeds from this.

[00:01:23]>> Correct.

[00:01:24]>> He will not >> he will not get his family will not get >> correct.

[00:01:29]>> And who will direct the distribution of these? Uh who gets the the money >> from the from the victim's fund? Well, there'll be a commission of five individuals that will be set up and they will take in requests and claims and decide whether to do anything for mission.

[00:01:44]>> Who will name the commissioners?

[00:01:46]>> I will. Or the attorney general. Whoever the attorney general is.

[00:01:49]>> The attorney general. Okay. Um >> sorry, just to correct. And one of them will be done in consultation with leadership of this body.

[00:01:56]>> Consultation. Well, that's good. But um when he first announced this uh suit on January 30th, he said, "I think what we'll do is something for charity where I'll give the money to charity." I'm talking about the American Cancer Society. I would say establish and respected charities. Uh will you fulfill the president's wish that it goes to respected charities?

[00:02:21]>> I'm aware that he put that in or said that, but that's not ultimately what the settlement calls for. Well, a settlement was negotiated between his lawyers and the Department of Justice. Correct.

[00:02:31]>> Correct.

[00:02:32]>> So, his lawyers did not urge that they adopt the president's vision of giving it to a respectable charity.

[00:02:39]>> I am confident his lawyers urged the president's desires. Um, obviously, there's not a a charity.

[00:02:46]Um the order that you signed yesterday states that the government pay this settlement if the secretary of treasury has certified the payment. Is that correct?

[00:02:59]>> Correct.

[00:03:00]>> Uh is it a coincidence that the general counsel department of treasury resigned yesterday?

[00:03:06]>> I I don't know if it's a coincidence.

[00:03:08]>> Have you looked or checked?

[00:03:10]>> Have I checked?

[00:03:10]>> Yeah, >> I've not as to why he resigned. It just seems to me very coincidental that a high ranking member of the Department of Treasury Senate confirmed would resign the day that the Treasury Department were required to required essentially to certify these payments.

[00:03:28]>> Well, I believe the IRS signed the settlement agreement as well. Um but yes, but I I I don't I can't speak to why he resigned. Senator.

[00:03:36]>> Well, um this all seems uh to be an obvious uh abuse of power by the Department of Justice, by the president. He negotiated essentially himself. You're his appointee. The IRS are his appointees.

[00:03:57]He's the plaintiff. And the American people, I don't think, are surprised that suddenly all this money is going to his friends or people that he in his orbit. Uh, will you ensure that none of this money goes to anyone convicted on the January 6th attack on the Congress?

[00:04:16]>> Well, the commissioners will determine who is eligible to receive the money, not the attorney.

[00:04:21]>> Who are who are the commissioners?

[00:04:22]>> They're not named yet.

[00:04:24]>> Who will name them?

[00:04:25]>> I will. Or the attorney general. Well, it's not me. So uh with the suggestion of the president of the United States, >> excuse me, >> with the suggestion of American of the president of the United States, your boss, >> I do not make suggestions. I will with commission.

[00:04:37]>> No, he will make suggestions to you.

[00:04:39]>> I I I have no idea if he will or not.

[00:04:42]>> I I really don't. I have no idea if he will or not.

[00:04:45]>> Uh I'm I would be shocked if he didn't tell you exactly who to put on, and I'd be more shocked if you did not put them on.

[00:04:55]This is a a travesty of the law in the United States on the Constitution. Um, you had an opportunity to go down and talk to Justine Maxwell and then a few days later she was transferred from a highsecurity prison to a um very comfortable >> I mean that's >> very comfortable. It's >> just not true.

[00:05:19]>> She was not in a highsecurity prison.

[00:05:21]She was transferred from a low security prison to a low security prison. I mean, you're looking at me like that's that's verifiable.

[00:05:28]>> Well, uh I don't think at the other prison she had her own room. She had access to a private shower. She could have pet therapy.

[00:05:39]And >> I don't know if any of that is true. I'm not disagreeing with you.

[00:05:42]>> It is true. And you should know it, Mr. T.

[00:05:44]>> I should know that whether whether a inmate has access to her own shower.

[00:05:48]>> No. No. Uh, this is a person of extra special interest to the president of the United States. He's known her. Why did he send you down to talk to her?

[00:05:58]>> He didn't send me. I went What do you mean the You think President Trump called and asked me to go interview a witness in federal prison? Honestly, >> yes, I do, frankly. Because you know why? Cuz the deal was in. He needed somebody he could rely he needed somebody he could rely upon to talk to her and say, "What would she say if she was asked about Jeffrey Epstein?" and you were the perfect choice. And you went down there and suddenly Shazam, she's out of what is a more confining situation into a >> not a a much more relaxed federal prison.

[00:06:32]>> Every word that I asked her is recorded and available to you to review. If there's criticisms of the question that I asked her, go ahead and make them. But he did. The president did not have anything to do with my choice to go interview M. Maxwell. If I wouldn't have went and a career would have went, you would have said, "Why didn't you go yourself?" Just like you expect me to know whether she has access to her own shower. So, I did go.

[00:06:53]>> Everyone in the United States who reads the newspapers know that. I guess you don't, you know, read things like that.

[00:07:00]You know, this this whole hearing, I think, is exposing something which is to me very frightening. Uh you're a very gifted lawyer, but from my perspective, you have very little faith to the Constitution and the people of America, and you're the president's consigori.

[00:07:19]>> Your perspective is completely wrong, Senator. Respectfully, >> I think the facts will prove me right.

[00:07:24]Thank you.