U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany says he’s still studying the details of President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion fund to provide taxpayer money to targets of “lawfare” and a “weaponized” justice system.
Tiffany, R-Minocqua and a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said at Tuesday’s WisPolitcs-State Affairs luncheon in Madison he’s asked the Trump administration for more details on how the fund would be implemented.
The GOP congressman, who has represented northern Wisconsin’s 7th CD since 2020, has been endorsed by Trump in the gubernatorial race to succeed outgoing Dem Gov. Tony Evers. The former lawmaker and tourism businessman was formally endorsed by the state GOP earlier this month.
The creation of the fund has drawn bipartisan criticism, including over concerns the money could be used to compensate those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, such as those who attacked law enforcement.
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“What I think is more important is those who have abused their authority … in a federal agency, that they should be charged and they should be prosecuted if they have abused their authority,” Tiffany said.
The U.S. Justice Department agreed to establish the fund as part of a settlement in a $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns. The fund will be administered by a commission picked by acting U.S. AG Todd Blanche.
Tiffany said he “would want to take a look at what was the harm that was done” to so-called victims seeking compensation.
“If it’s significant enough, perhaps they should receive compensation,” Tiffany said.
He also said those who harmed law enforcement shouldn’t be eligible for funding.
Tiffany also expanded on his opposition to the failed $1.8 billion surplus package Evers negotiated with GOP legislative leaders. According to a new Marquette Law School poll, 80% of Wisconsin adults surveyed said the Legislature should have passed the package.
Tiffany said he wanted to return all of a $2.5 billion projected surplus to taxpayers, rather than just a portion and that he would prioritize property tax relief. He also said he had concerns about Evers’ veto powers.
According to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau projection, the package would have left the state with a nearly $3 billion hole at the end of the 2027-29 budget. The analysis did not take into account possible revenue growth in the next biennium or possible spending increases in the upcoming budget.
Asked about the possibility that his proposal to release all of the surplus could also leave a large deficit, Tiffany said: “If we’re using Madison math, yes.”
“We can return money to the taxpayers, including the surplus, and we can also have a balanced budget, and you do it by setting priorities,” Tiffany said. “Ever since I’ve been in the Legislature, I’ve divided spending into wants and needs, and you make sure that you spend money on the needs first, and then when you run out, just like a family, then you stop spending.”
Tiffany in a gaggle with reporters after the event said he would prioritize funding areas such as education, transportation and healthcare as governor, but did not say what areas could potentially be cut.