US judge voids Trump’s IRS settlement, alleges self-dealing

A US federal judge has voided a civil settlement between President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice, ruling it unlawful and an instance of self-dealing. The settlement, which allocated $1.8 billion to an "anti-weaponization" fund and granted Trump sweeping tax protections, stemmed from a lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over alleged leaks of his tax returns. Judge Kathleen Williams stated that Trump and the DOJ were not truly adverse parties, as required in lawsuits, and that the court was misused to legitimize an agreement conferring immunity and earmarking taxpayer funds for undefined grievances. The administration had already withdrawn the controversial fund amid bipartisan backlash.

A US judge has voided a $1.8 billion settlement between Donald Trump and the IRS that would have granted him immunity from tax audits. The judge ruled the lawsuit was brought for "improper purposes," noting Trump pursued his claims only after returning to the White House and appointing individuals with connections to his legal team to prominent Justice Department positions. The settlement was negotiated by these officials with Trump's lawyers. The judge also referred one of Trump's attorneys for possible disciplinary action and barred a second lawyer from cases in the Southern District of Florida for a year. Trump's legal team stated the IRS wrongly allowed a "rogue, politically-motivated employee" to leak his private information.