Bipartisan group of former judges asks court to investigate Trump’s IRS deal

by Max Rego

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

A group of former federal judges on Wednesday asked a federal court to reopen President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), arguing that the administration circumvented the court by negotiating a settlement with the president and creating a $1.776 billion fund for those who believe that the government has wronged them.

The group of more than 30 ex-judges, appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, wrote that the Department of Justice (DOJ) “deceived” U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams by announcing the settlement with Trump after the president’s legal team did not mention it in dismissing the case.

Under that settlement, the DOJ created a nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for those who believe the federal government has wronged them. The fund has the power to “issue formal apologies and monetary relief” to successful claimants, according to the department.

While the DOJ stated that there are “no partisan requirements” to file a claim for money from the fund, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that those convicted of wrongdoing in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol could receive taxpayer dollars.

As part of the resolution to Trump’s since-withdrawn lawsuit against the IRS — which he filed in January over an agency contractor leaking his tax returns to multiple news outlets — acting Attorney General Todd Blanche barred the IRS from auditing the prior tax returns of the president, his family or his businesses.

The IRS falls under the Treasury Department, not the DOJ.

In their filing on Wednesday, the former judges wrote that the settlement “threatens to undermine confidence in the administration of justice.” They noted the legal questions surrounding whether the case was “legitimate,” given that Trump sued an agency that he oversees.

The group, which included district and magistrate judges, along with one bankruptcy judge, asked Williams, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, to “set aside” her order ending the case.

“That will allow the Court to commence an inquiry into whether the Court was deceived, including with respect to the existence of an underlying case or controversy and any purported arms-length negotiations undertaken to resolve it,” they wrote.
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