Trump’s stunning IRS settlement

IRS barred from auditing Trump’s old tax returns

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order Tuesday that leaves the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) “forever barred” from auditing President Trump’s prior tax returns.

The memo prohibits the IRS from pursuing claims against Trump, his family or his businesses, saying the agency “releases, waives, acquits” its pending action and is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing claims against the president. 

The document comes after the Justice Department and Trump moved to voluntarily dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit against the agency for leaking his tax returns. In exchange, the Justice Department created a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to provide an avenue for individuals who allege they’ve been unfairly treated by previous administrations.

In seeking to voluntarily dismiss the case, the parties are sidestepping a federal judge who had asked Trump and the Justice Department to explain whether they were truly adversaries as required for bringing a case. 

The single-page document says the tax agency will not be allowed to probe any of Trump’s ”tax returns filed before the effective date” of Monday’s settlement agreement for any “presently known or unknown” claims.

“As is customary in settlements, both sides have executed waivers of a variety of claims that were or could have been brought. There would be little point in settling several significant claims if either party could simply turn around and seek to [initiate] more adverse claims that could have been pursued previously,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a........

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