Former President Donald Trump is reportedly pursuing $230 million in compensation from the Department of Justice — the very agency he now oversees — for what he claims were wrongful federal investigations against him, according to The New York Times.
Trump has filed administrative complaints, the preliminary step before a potential lawsuit, involving two major probes. The first, submitted in late 2023, concerns the FBI and special counsel inquiry into alleged Russian interference during his 2016 presidential campaign.
A second complaint, filed in 2024, focuses on the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida for classified documents. In both filings, Trump asserts that federal authorities violated his rights and privacy.
An administrative claim allows for possible settlement negotiations before moving to court. If rejected, Trump could escalate the matter into a formal lawsuit. The Justice Department’s own manual states that settlements exceeding $4 million require approval by the deputy attorney general or associate attorney general.
That stipulation adds another layer of complexity to the situation, as current Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has previously served as Trump’s defense attorney in several high-profile cases — including the New York criminal trial that resulted in Trump’s conviction for falsifying business records.
According to the Times, if Trump’s claim were settled before becoming a lawsuit, the agreement might not be made public under DOJ policy. “If or when the Trump administration pays the president what could be hundreds of millions of dollars, there may be no immediate official declaration that it did so,” the outlet reported.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office about his demand for compensation, Trump said he had not yet spoken directly with the Justice Department.
“All I know is they would owe me a lot of money. They rigged the election,” he said. “It’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself. But I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get, I would give to charity.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, responding to questions about the report, said he had not discussed the matter with Trump but acknowledged the president’s belief that reimbursement was justified.
“I know he believes he’s owed that reimbursement,” Johnson said. “What I heard is that, if he receives it, he’s gonna consider giving it to charity. They attack him for everything he does.”
Trump, who has previously donated his $400,000 annual presidential salary to various causes, directed his first paycheck of his second term toward White House renovations.
Still, the former president’s personal wealth continues to grow. Forbes reported in September that his net worth rose by $3 billion over the past year, largely fueled by cryptocurrency investments, a meme coin, and his international licensing ventures.
