'It is theft': Dems announce probe into Trump's $230 million Justice Department shakedown

The House Judiciary and Oversight and Reform Committee Democrats announced on Thursday that they will be investigating President Donald Trump's alleged shakedown of the Justice Department for $230 million.

The New York Times reported this week that Trump wants $230 million in restitution from his own DOJ over the investigations he faced during his first term and after his 2020 election loss.

CBS News reporter Seth MacFarlane posted a letter from the committee's minority Democrats showing the demand and citing Trump's own words that he believes he deserves the money as restitution.

"The Founders feared presidents like you might one day be tempted to use their powers to steal U.S. taxpayer funds. That's why they enshrined a very simple rule into the Constitution, which is called the Domestic Emoluments Clause," the letter reads.

"As President, you may not receive any payment from the federal government or any of the states, except for your salary, which is currently fixed by law at $400,000 per year. That is a categorical prohibition not even waivable by Congress, unlike the Foreign Emoluments Clause, where Congress can approve an otherwise illegal receipt of a gift, like the $400 million airplane you want to accept from Qatar," it continues.

"That isn't justice, it is theft," the letter also says.