President Donald Trump Appeals Federal Ruling on $10 Billion IRS Lawsuit Settlement
President Donald Trump, along with his two oldest sons and the Trump Organization, filed a notice of appeal on Friday to challenge a federal judge's ruling regarding a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams stated that the lawsuit was brought for an "improper purpose" to gain judicial legitimacy for a settlement that lacked a viable basis in law or fact. Under the original settlement, the administration agreed to create a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund to compensate victims of government lawfare, which could have included many of the Jan. 6 rioters. The settlement also granted tax immunity to President Donald Trump and his family. However, the judge ruled that because the administration controls the IRS, the agreement was a form of self-dealing. The appeal seeks to review the decision to block the Trumps from officially using the settlement in legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Republican senators are holding up the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general until they receive written confirmation that the fund is defunct.