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Donald Trump's Lawsuit Settlement with the IRS

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
5 min read
Donald Trump's Lawsuit Settlement with the IRS

Donald Trump settled his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. It was a massive deal, leading to a settlement that opened the door for a $1.776 billion fund. This money is meant to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by the government—people alleging they were subjected to some kind of government "weaponization."

The whole setup is wild. It’s supposed to create an unprecedented system, taxpayer-backed, to pay people who feel the government unfairly aimed at them. Some of those claims even touch on defendants linked to the January 6 Capitol riot.

Reports had been floating around for a while, though. People were already talking about Trump weighing this nearly $1.8 billion fund as part of the negotiation.

As part of the deal, Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization got a formal apology. But don't expect any actual cash compensation attached to that. Nothing financial in that part.

Where did this all come from? The lawsuit itself started with the leak of Trump’s confidential tax returns. They got leaked to The New York Times and ProPublica during his first term. It was done by a former IRS contractor who eventually pleaded guilty and went to prison.

Court filings say the case was dismissed "with prejudice." Which means he can't bring it back. It’s closed, officially.

It drew a lot of attention, you know. Trump was trying to get damages from agencies that are now under his administration, agencies he controls as president.

The final sign-off came from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He was formerly Trump’s criminal defense lawyer before he jumped to the Justice Department.

The aGreement was finalized just two days before a court deadline. Judge Kathleen Williams had already raised serious questions. She wondered if Trump and the agencies involved were even "sufficiently adverse" for the whole thing to keep going.

So, what does the settlement actually do? A five-member commission, appointed by the Attorney General, is going to look at the claims. They’re supposed to issue compensation and, if applicable, give formal apologies.

Trump still has the power to pull commission members. That’s a lever he has. And the fund is expected to run until December 2028. Right before his term ends.

The money itself? It flows through the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund. That fund is taxpayer money. It’s used for government settlements.

Paul Figley, a legal expert who spent thirty-two years in the Justice Department’s Civil Division, weighed in on this. He called it a huge loophole. A massive hole in Congress’s control over federal spending. It sat dormant for ages. It only started getting used for big settlements after the Obama administration started using it.

Brandon DeBot, Policy Director at the NYU Tax Law Center, said something pretty sharp. He called it a "breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system." He added that courts are finding this administration is violating taxpayer privacy laws just to try and get huge sums of money for the president’s own purposes.

Defending the settlement, the legal team put out a statement. They said President Trump entered this deal squarely for the benefit of the American people. They insisted he’ll keep fighting to hold those who wronged America and Americans accountable.

The White House didn't really jump in. They just referred questions to the Justice Department. No immediate comment came back to Axios. Just silence.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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