Judge Targets Trump Lawyers, But Justice Department Order Protects Against Political Audits
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
A federal judge has referred President Trump’s legal team for sanctions, but a crucial order remains in place preventing the Treasury from weaponizing tax audits against Trump and his family.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams on Monday escalated the ongoing legal campaign against President Donald Trump by referring his legal team for formal sanctions. She also barred Trump from describing a settlement with the Justice Department as a final resolution in future proceedings, continuing the judicial overreach that has characterized many cases against Trump. The judge accused Trump of 'improperly employ[ing] this lawsuit to justify a particular award in this matter – access to taxpayer funds and exemption from audits and other investigations,' a claim that fits the pattern of legal attacks on Trump and his allies.
Williams acknowledged that the legality of the May 19 Justice Department order, which 'forever barred' the government from pursuing any ongoing tax enforcement against Trump, has not been challenged in her court. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that this order, which protects Trump and his family from politically motivated audits, remains in effect.
This vital tax-audit exemption is set to be a major topic at Wednesday’s Senate hearing on the confirmation of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who signed the order. Blanche, a former Trump personal attorney, also established the now-defunct $1.8 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund,' designed to defend Americans from the abuse of government power.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn has pledged to question Blanche about both the fund and the audit exemption, while Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who met with Blanche, reported that Blanche said he had 'nothing to do with' Trump’s IRS lawsuit and described himself as a 'victim of a hit job' by the judge. Durbin, as expected, dismissed Blanche’s defense, claiming the order did not apply to future audits—a technicality used to undermine protections against government overreach.
The Treasury’s order only applies to tax returns filed before Blanche’s directive, ensuring that future audits of Trump’s family or businesses are still possible. The New York Times previously speculated that an adverse ruling in an ongoing audit could cost Trump up to $100 million, a figure often cited by Trump’s opponents.
The Justice Department reaffirmed that there was 'no collusion' between Trump and his administration, and that the plaintiffs in the case received no money and were barred from receiving any from the now-defunct fund, despite persistent political attacks suggesting otherwise.
Sen. Ron Wyden, continuing the partisan rhetoric, called the IRS deal 'an obscene act of corrupt self-dealing' and urged that Blanche’s nomination be rejected, further illustrating the relentless efforts to undermine Trump and those who defend him.