Trump Drops $10B IRS Lawsuit, DOJ Creates $1.8B 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' Shielding Him From Tax Claims

President Trump voluntarily dismissed his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns, just two days before a court deadline on jurisdiction. As part of the settlement, the Department of Justice—which Trump oversees—established a $1.776 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' to compensate alleged victims of government 'lawfare,' with five members appointed by the Attorney General and removable by Trump. The DOJ also permanently barred the IRS from pursuing any tax claims against Trump, his family members, or his companies based on prior returns. The lawsuit had originated from the 2019 leak of Trump's tax returns showing years of losses and minimal tax payments. Legal experts including former federal prosecutors and ethics watchdogs from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) condemned the arrangement as corrupt self-dealing negotiated between the president and agencies under his control, using taxpayer funds to shield himself from financial scrutiny ...

"The settlement, which marks an extraordinary use of executive power, goes beyond resolving litigation and effectively helps shield the president from further examination of his finances and legal conduct." — Legal experts commenting on the unprecedented nature of a president negotiating with agencies under his control to dismiss his own lawsuit and create permanent immunity from tax scrutiny