Judge voids Donald Trump's 'improper' $1.8b IRS settlement that gave him immunity from tax audits
A US District Judge has voided a settlement between President Trump and federal agencies that provided him with tax audit immunity and a $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponisation' fund. The judge ruled the lawsuit was filed for an improper purpose and referred a Trump lawyer for potential disciplinary action.
Why it matters
This legal decision prevents the implementation of a controversial settlement that critics argued was an abuse of executive power to shield the president from tax scrutiny.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Democrats and some Republicans criticised the creation of an "anti-weaponisation" fund following the initial settlement.
A US judge has voided a legal agreement between President Donald Trump and federal agencies that granted him immunity from tax audits and allowed his administration to create a since-abandoned $1.8bn (£1.3bn) "anti-weaponisation" fund.
The fund, intended to compensate individuals claiming they were unfairly targeted by the government, was unveiled in May in exchange for Trump dropping his personal $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
But on Monday, US District Judge Kathleen Williams said the suit was filed for an improper purpose.
She also referred a Trump lawyer to state authorities to determine whether ethics rules were violated and disciplinary action required.
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