Trump tax returns get protection from IRS under fund settlement

Key Points:

• A $1.8 billion settlement between the Justice Department and former President Donald Trump bars the IRS from pursuing enforcement actions on tax returns filed by Trump, his family, and related entities before the settlement date.
• The protection covers Trump, his family members, the Trump Organization, trusts, affiliates, and subsidiaries, and was signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump's criminal defense lawyer.
• Senator Ron Wyden criticized the provision as violating federal law prohibiting executive interference in IRS audits, emphasizing that no individual, including the President, is above the law.
• The settlement resolved a $10 billion lawsuit over IRS leaks of Trump-related tax filings and established an Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate alleged victims of law enforcement actions under the Biden administration, a move Democrats have labeled a "slush fund" benefiting Trump allies.
• As part of the deal, Trump withdrew administrative claims related to the Mar-a-Lago raid and the Russia-collusion investigation, while the fund's potential compensation to individuals convicted in the January 6 Capitol riot remains uncertain.