A U.S. judge on Monday found that President Donald Trump improperly used a $10 billion lawsuit he filed against the IRS to extract personal benefits from the government he oversees, preventing the terms of a settlement agreement from taking legal effect.
Miami-based U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams excoriated Trump’s personal lawyers and attorneys in his administration, concluding their interests were not opposed to each other as is legally required for civil lawsuits. Williams referred a Trump lawyer in the case, Alejandro Brito, and senior Justice Department officials who signed off on the settlement to state bar authorities to determine if their actions violated legal ethics rules.
In a 56-page ruling, Williams concluded that attorneys on both sides of the case – Trump’s personal lawyers and lawyers for the DOJ and IRS – misused the legal system to provide cover for actions aimed at benefiting Trump and his allies.
“This action was never about a party seeking judicial resolution of a legal issue or a factual dispute,” Williams wrote. The judge said it was instead an attempt to “provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the president and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law.”
Trump sued the IRS in January, accusing the agency of not doing enough to prevent the leak of his tax records during his first term in office and initially seeking $10 billion.
The settlement came under withering scrutiny from critics, including some Republican lawmakers, who accused the Trump administration of self-dealing and seeking to funnel taxpayer money to political allies. Blanche, under pressure from Republican senators, agreed to scuttle the weaponization fund, but allowed the tax provision to remain in effect.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team did not directly address the court’s ruling, but repeated claims that Trump’s tax records were improperly leaked and said the president “continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.”
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
