A constituent letter this week showed Rep. Nick Langworthy privately said taxpayer dollars should never be used to settle President Donald Trump’s grievances over the Jan. 6 compensation fund.
Publicly, the New York Republican had struck a softer line, saying he had “more questions than answers,” wanted congressional oversight and warned the fund should not become a direct slush fund for one event.
Langworthy also echoed the administration’s broader “lawfare” argument in local media, saying innocent people had been harmed by excessive government action even as he said the settlement still had “a little ways to go.”
The contrast adds to evidence that some GOP lawmakers are speaking more critically to constituents than in public as Trump’s Jan. 6-related fund stirs backlash on Capitol Hill.
How can a $1.776 billion public fund ensure a transparent and accountable distribution of relief to applicants?