The Fight Over Trump’s Sweetheart IRS Deal Is Not at All Over

Key Points:

• President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns nearly settled with a deal granting him and his businesses tax enforcement immunity and creating a $1.7 billion “anti-weaponization fund” for those prosecuted by prior administrations, including Jan. 6 insurrectionists; however, the fund was halted after bipartisan backlash and judicial intervention.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the anti-weaponization fund would not move forward, but the tax immunity portion of the settlement remains, potentially saving the Trump family over $600 million in taxes on recent lucrative deals.
• U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams reopened Trump’s IRS lawsuit, suspecting collusion between Trump and the DOJ to avoid judicial scrutiny, and has demanded explanations regarding the legitimacy of the settlement and whether the judiciary was misled.
• Democrats plan to challenge Trump’s IRS immunity in Congress, seeking to strengthen laws preventing presidential interference in tax audits and other governmental investigations if they regain the House in upcoming midterms.
• Slate’s Jurisprudence team highlights ongoing Supreme Court developments, including rulings on voting rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and executive power, as well as discussions on the DOJ’s rumored investigation into E. Jean Carroll amid her legal victories against Trump.