Legal scholars told Axios that if the Justice Department hands President Trump the millions in damages he requested in past administrative claims, it would present an egregious breach of ethical safeguards.

The big picture: Trump has staffed the nation's top law enforcement roles with loyalists, including those who have previously defended him in court, while the DOJ has purged those who took part in prosecuting the president. • The New York Times, which first reported the president was seeking some $230 million in compensation, noted that such a settlement could ultimately be stamped by the senior officials who personally defended Trump in court. • Trump said Tuesday it would be "awfully strange to make a decision where I'm paying myself." But told reporters his legal team "could be"

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