California Gov. Gavin Newsom says his administration will seek to impose a 100% tax on any California residents who receive money from President Donald Trump’s newly created “anti-weaponization” fund. Newsom describes the program as a “slush fund” and says the policy is intended to prevent Californians from financially benefiting from payments tied to Trump’s efforts connected to the Jan. 6 period and related legal disputes.
Multiple outlets report the fund is valued at about $1.8 billion (figures cited include $1.776 billion). Newsom’s proposal would target proceeds paid to state residents, and he frames it as a way to counter what he calls rewards connected to pardons. The reporting also describes the fund as originating from a settlement involving the U.S. Department of Justice and Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.
Other Democratic-led states are reported to be considering similar approaches. New York and New Jersey lawmakers have introduced or drafted legislation to tax or block recipients from keeping money associated with the fund, while Trump characterizes the payments as compensation for people he says were harmed by government actions.
