‘Slush fund for crooks’: GOP lawmaker faces criticism over ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, Epstein files and Trump at town hall

By Annie Grayer, CNN

(CNN) — GOP Rep. Mike Flood said President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund should not be used for rioters who were at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, during a town hall in his district Tuesday where he was repeatedly pressed on his support of the president’s agenda.

The Nebraska congressman, who is no stranger to contentious town halls, faced a barrage of critical questions over the controversial $1.8 billion fund at the event, which comes as lawmakers are back in their home states after a revolt by Senate Republicans over the fund stalled Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda in Washington.

Throughout the event, Flood attempted to tout his efforts to be bipartisan, defending Trump in certain areas while not being afraid to, at times, create distance from the leader of his party and his administration.

Asked to respond to the “anti-weaponization” fund, which was announced as part of a settlement to resolve a $10 billion civil lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS, Flood was careful to say he has not signed off on the effort and said there needs to be restrictions on who can receive the funding.

“I have never approved that. I do not think one penny of any fund should ever go to any January 6 insurrectionist that was in the Capitol,” Flood said Tuesday to applause from the audience. “I want to be very clear: I do not think we should be creating a fund for people that commit physical violence against law enforcement.”

The fund came up repeatedly in questions from attendees, as did other issues ranging from the war with Iran to Trump’s White House ballroom project.

“Iran war, White House ballroom, security for the White House ballroom, immigration enforcement, Trump arch … the reflecting pool renovation, slush fund for crooks and the farm bill. How do we pay for all this?” one person asked.

The types of questions the congressman was confronted with on Tuesday highlight the kinds of issues Republicans are facing scrutiny over as the November midterm elections approach.

Pressed on why the Department of Justice had not released all of the Jeffrey Epstein files and whether it was done to cover for mentions of Trump, Flood said he supported the law that led to the release of 3.5 million of the files and said if there was evidence of wrongdoing by Trump, the DOJ under the Biden administration would have publicized it.

“If President Trump was in the Epstein files, it would have been released,” Flood said over shouts from the audience.

Trump has not been accused by authorities of any wrongdoing. Some 2.5 million documents in the Justice Department’s investigative files on the late convicted sex offender have still not been publicly released.

Asked about US military action against Iran, Flood was direct: “I’ll be the first to tell you, prices are too high right now. It costs too much when you go to the grocery store. It costs too much when you try to buy a new car. Everything costs too much, and I don’t want to hide that one bit. I also don’t want Iran with a nuclear weapon.”

In his answer for why he supports the Republican effort to enact Trump’s agenda for immigration enforcement funding, Flood did not mince words when referring to the federal immigration officers who killed protestors in Minnesota, calling that episode “the worst weekend I’ve had in public service.”

Even during the more hostile moments, Flood celebrated the differences of opinion expressed in the audience and emphasized that the purpose of the town hall was so he could answer for his record and give people a chance to have their voices heard.

“I know that these things are an experiment in democracy. I mean, regardless of your positions, I appreciate the fact that you came out here tonight to participate in this discussion,” Flood said. “I want to stress to you that I hope tonight, I made the case that I use common sense, that I made the case that I’m getting results, and that I am working to be bipartisan.”

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