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Good afternoon, Press Pass readers. By this time next year, we should have a full understanding of who will control the House and Senate for the remainder of Trump’s presidency. The races are gonna heat up until white-hot election news is all you can see. If you want to stay coolly informed instead of getting immolated, consider upgrading your subscription to a Bulwark+ membership. If you start an annual membership today, it will see you all the way through Election Day next year.
Today’s edition brings you into the fight over whether some senators can collect an extra payday from taxpayers simply because they were investigated for plotting to subvert the 2020 election. A special carveout made it into the government funding bill that gives a handful of Republican senators the option of suing the Justice Department for payments of $500,000. This has gone over poorly, with some lawmakers now scrambling to fix it. But because the deal got a bipartisan sign-off, it’s going to take a heavy lift.
In addition, a House lawmaker claimed politicians were taking campaign donations from Jeffrey Epstein. She got the wrong Jeffrey Epstein, though. Her Epstein was just some guy with an unfortunate name. Lastly, it’s starting to feel like the House of Representatives is a prison yard—or maybe just a particularly dysfunctional high school cafeteria. All that and more, below.
Senators Scramble to Disown the Sweetheart Deal They Gave Themselves
Some lawmakers want to repeal the sneaky $500,000 payout.
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When the Senate reached a deal to reopen the government last week, it included a special provision enabling several Republican senators to sue the federal government and collect $500,000 in taxpayer money for being targeted in Jack Smith’s investigation of the 2020 election subversion plot.
The provision went far beyond the typical redress afforded to American citizens, and it was limited to senators, not House members.
The most common reaction has been a mix of befuddlement and outrage. Many in government and the media have been wondering who actually was responsible for putting the carveout in the final bill. Right wing podcasters have demanded it be reversed. Even some of the senators who are poised to reap the rewards say they aren’t clear why it was put in the legislation. That includes Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), whose phone metadata was obtained by Smith’s team.
“I wasn’t asked about it. I wasn’t told about it. I’m one of the eight people to whom it applies, and I knew nothing about it till I read it in the bill,” Hawley told me. “So, not a great way to do business.”...
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