Judge blasts Trump's IRS lawsuit as filed for 'improper purpose,' recommends attorney discipline

By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press By — Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-blasts-trumps-irs-lawsuit-as-filed-for-improper-purpose-recommends-attorney-discipline Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Judge blasts Trump's IRS lawsuit as filed for 'improper purpose,' recommends attorney discipline Politics Jul 13, 2026 1:31 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over his leaked tax returns was filed for an "improper purpose," a judge said Monday in a scathing decision that recommended attorney sanctions and disciplinary action. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams amounts to a stinging rebuke of the Republican president's lawsuit, characterizing it as an exercise in self-dealing in which he sued an entity that is effectively under his control. WATCH: DOJ's tax settlement with Trump sets 'dangerous precedent,' former IRS commissioner says The suit concluded in May with a settlement agreement that created a since-abandoned $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the president, as well as immunity from tax audits. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law," the judge wrote. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now