Ex-judges says Trump's IRS deal 'deceived' court
By: Joey Garrison
USA Today
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 36 former federal judges asked a federal court in Florida to reopen the legal case between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service and investigate whether the two parties-out-of-court settlement was an act of fraud against the court.
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In a May 27 [2026] filling, the ex-judges contend Trump and co-plaintiffs failed to mention a planned settlement in their motion to withdrew the lawsuit against the IRS. In exchange for trump voluntarily withdrawing the lawsuit, the Justice Department last week [05/23/2026] agreed to cerate a much-criticized $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that could funnel payments to Trump's political allies.
..... "The Court was deceive," the 24-page motion reads, adding that the settlement "commandeers the contrived sum of $1.776 billion
from the United states Treasury, to be handed out to recipients chosen by a commission effectuate controlled by the President.
..... Trump filed suit against the IRS and Treasury Department in January [2026] seeking 410 billion in damages over the agency's past leak of his tax returns.
..... Voluntarily withdrawing the lawsuit meant the judge assigned to the case, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, did not rule on the case's merits - nor did the judge weigh in on the settlement that plaintiffs reached with Acting Attorney Genera, Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney.
.... "The purported 'settlement' that the parties never placed before the Court raises profound questions about the parties' candor toward the Court and manipulation of the judicial system, which threatens to undermine confidence in the administration of justice,'" the 35 former judges said in their motion.
..... They said reopening the case would 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."
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Among the former judges asking the court to reopen the case is former U.S. District Court Judge Michael Luttia, a prominent conservative judge who was one of the star witnesses of the House January 6 [2021] select Committee hearings.
..... Although none of the former judges are parties in the suit, they cited a federal rule of civil procedure where by a federal court can set aside a judgment over fraud against the court.
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"To be clear, the parties' settlement was not, and never will be, legally justified," the motion reads, arguing Blanche wrongfully invoked the Ag's authorities to award judgments and compromise settlements when he created the anti-weaponizaiton fund. "Both of those authorities require the existence of a legitimate litigation and not, as here, one that is collusive, feigned, or fraudulent."
..... Blanche and other administration offices have not rule out checks going to the nearly 1,600 trump supports who violently stormed he Capitol January 6, 2021, including those convicted of assaulting police officers.