Former NYC mayors Rudy Giuliani and Eric Adams could be among those who seek payouts from President Trump’s controversial $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who faced federal investigation and prosecution under the previous presidential administration.
The two former mayors did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether they plan to apply for the taxpayer-funded cash and, if so, how much.
But there’s little doubt that they could qualify for payouts if Trump’s controversial plan passes legal muster, if only because it appears the payouts would be completely controlled by Trump loyalists to hand out to whomever they see fit.
Both Giuliani and Adams have loudly and bitterly complained that they were innocent victims of a “weaponized” justice system during President Biden’s administration, echoing the complaints from Trump supporters that the fund claims to correct.
Giuliani, 81 was indicted in Georgia and Arizona on state charges related to his effort to help Trump stay in power after losing the 2020 election.
Adams, 65, who left City Hall on Jan. 1, was indicted on federal charges tied to his alleged acceptance of more than $100,000 from Turkish entities in exchange for favors from city government. Those charges were dismissed last April by the Justice Department.
The “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which comes from a pot of Department of Justice cash that normally funds settlements of legally valid claims, will be doled out by a panel of five people handpicked by Trump’s acting attorney general, Todd Blanche.
There has been no mention of standards or criteria for approval of the compensation requests, only that the cash would go to anyone the panel determines was treated unfairly by federal authorities. There is likewise no method disclosed for determining the amounts of compensation to be provided.
The fund has no oversight from Congress, any judge or any other entity not beholden to Trump.
Giuliani, who recently survived a serious health scare, has faced a huge array of legal and financial woes stemming from his backing of Trump’s effort to overturn his loss to former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Trump pardoned Giuliani for any federal crimes related to his involvement in the so-called Stop the Steal plan to help Trump stay in power after losing to Biden. He could still face state charges, although the highest profile case was in Georgia, which was dismissed by the state supreme court amid questions over the handling of it by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Giuliani was also disbarred for his ethically dubious handling of the election dispute. He was forced to settle a $148 million defamation case that two election workers won over his false claims that they rigged votes for Biden.
He also settled a $1.3 billion defamation suit filed against him by Dominion Voting Systems over his false claims that their voting machines were involved in fraud that cost Trump votes.
Terms for the settlements were not made public so it’s difficult to assess Giuliani’s current financial situation. Aside from political disputes, he faces a $10 million sex harassment suit filed by a former assistant.
Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, did not respond to questions.
Adams, 65, who served a single rocky four-year term in City Hall, was cleared of the corruption charges when the Trump Justice Department dropped the case. A federal judge overseeing the case derided the dismissal of the case as a corrupt “bargain” to win Adams’ support for Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Adams last year reported at least $3.1 million in debts to lawyers stemming from the now-dismissed corruption case, which also ensnared several City Hall aides and political allies.
He’s also reported smaller amounts owed to other entities involved in his defense. It’s unclear if he has been able to make a dent in the big debt.
Todd Shapiro, an Adams spokesman, said he passed on a request for comment to Adams, but he didn’t immediately respond.
