Alexandria, Va. — Plaintiffs challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s $1.776 billion slush fund filed a motion seeking expedited discovery after the administration claimed in a court filing that the fund is “not going forward” while declining to provide sworn testimony, official documentation, or other competent evidence demonstrating that the program has actually been abandoned.
The plaintiffs include former career federal prosecutor Andrew Floyd, Professor Jonathan Caravello, the City of New Haven, the National Abortion Federation, and Common Cause. Plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward.
The motion follows a series of communications between plaintiffs and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking clarification regarding the status of the slush fund. Plaintiffs repeatedly requested assurances and supporting evidence regarding whether the administration had rescinded the fund, whether any funds had been transferred, whether program members had been appointed, and whether the administration remained bound by the agreement in Trump v. IRS that originally created the program. According to the filing, the Trump-Vance administration declined to provide evidence supporting its position that the Fund had been abandoned and confirmed that it would not offer anything beyond prior unsworn representations.
The filing also notes that President Trump has continued to publicly defend the slush fund and has declined to clearly state that the program has been permanently abandoned, creating further uncertainty about the administration’s intentions.
Plaintiffs are asking the court to permit discovery to determine the fund’s current status and future plans before the court rules on plaintiffs’ pending motion for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs also seek to preserve the status quo while that discovery proceeds. The federal court in this case also recently ordered the administration to immediately pause all activity related to the slush fund.
“We’ve seen this administration say one thing and do the complete opposite far too many times, and we’re asking the court to have them show us the truth about their assurances that the slush fund has actually been abandoned,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “If the administration truly intends to walk away from this $1.776 billion corrupt political kickback scheme, it should have no problem proving it. Instead, they are asking the court and the public to believe that the fund has been abandoned while the president continues publicly praising the slush fund and refusing to say it has been abandoned. Courts decide cases based on evidence, not shifting political statements. We are seeking discovery to gather facts so the administration can face accountability for one of the most extraordinary abuses of taxpayer funds in modern history.”
The case is Andrew Floyd et al. v. U.S. Department of Justice et al. The legal team at Democracy Forward includes Pooja Boisture, Jyoti Jasrasaria, Aman George, Ayesha Khan, Robin Thurston, Joel McElvain, and Skye Perryman.
Read the motion here and here.
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
