Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus, told Newsmax on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's push for about $230 million in compensation from the Department of Justice isn't about personal gain but about vindication after what he called years of politically motivated investigations.
Dershowitz told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" that Trump "has the right to seek compensation" for alleged actions against him during and after the Biden administration — including the Russia collusion investigation, the classified documents case, and the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
But, he stressed, the issue is "more about principle than money."
"He's going to give it to charity, but this isn't about money," Dershowitz said.
"It's about some institution saying, You were treated unfairly."
"That's what he's looking for," he said.
Dershowitz said Trump is "seeking a judgment" that the investigations were unjustified, particularly the Russia investigation, which he called "without basis at all."
He added that Trump's estimate of $230 million in compensation is "a measure of the damage" he believes he suffered, not a demand for a personal payout.
"What he's doing is looking for vindication," Dershowitz said. "For him, vindication means money, but it's really a way to quantify how much he believes he was victimized."
Dershowitz also said ethical conflicts within the DOJ make it impossible for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — Trump's former defense attorney — to oversee any settlement talks.
"He's not going to sit in judgment on this case," Dershowitz said.
"He was and still is, in some respects, Trump's lawyer. So I suspect the Justice Department will appoint a neutral outside arbitrator to assess the situation."
Dershowitz said only an independent arbiter could ensure a fair, "kosher" process.
He suggested that a former judge, university president, or senior accounting executive could credibly evaluate Trump's claim and determine whether compensation is warranted.
"The process has to be completely kosher," he said.
"It's not kosher when you have your own lawyer ultimately signing off on the decision."
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