Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Trump Wins IRS Immunity for Past Returns in May 19 Deal Ending Lawsuit
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15

Trump Wins IRS Immunity for Past Returns in May 19 Deal Ending Lawsuit

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15

Summary

  • A May 19 Justice Department order bars the IRS from pursuing any existing civil audits or criminal tax investigations into Trump, his family, their companies and affiliated individuals.
  • The directive also blocks the IRS from opening new cases tied to already filed returns, effectively shielding past tax positions that the agency still could have challenged within its usual 3-year window.
  • That protection was part of a deal to end Trump's lawsuit against the IRS; a separate $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund in the same arrangement has since been abandoned after Republican backlash.
  • Todd Blanche's order is now a flashpoint in his confirmation hearing, with Democrats calling it corrupt and illegal and some Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn, also questioning the audit provision.

Insights

Can a judge unwind an immunity deal granted by the president's own administration?