New Delhi: The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) expanded a deal between Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tuesday, permanently barring the US agency from investigating or prosecuting Trump, his family, or their businesses over past tax affairs.
The addendum to the recent Trump-IRS settlement agreement was quietly published Tuesday without a formal statement from the DoJ. It effectively shields the US President and his family from IRS audits related to their tax filings before the settlement’s effective date.
“The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES each of the Plaintiffs from, and is hereby FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims, counterclaims, causes of action, appeals, or requests for any relief, including injunctive relief, monetary relief, damages, examinations or similar or related reviews, appeals, debt relief, costs, attorney’s fees, expenses, and/or interest, whether presently known or unknown, that—as of the Effective Date of the Settlement Agreement (sic),” the one-page addendum said. It was signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s personal attorney before he was brought into the DoJ during the President’s second tenure.A day before, Trump agreed to drop a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for establishing a $1.776 billion “settlement fund” for individuals the President believes the US government unfairly prosecuted. The “anti-weaponisation fund”—announced by the DoJ Monday—will have five members, receive $1.776 billion from the “judgment fund”, and function as a “perpetual appropriation” allowing the DoJ to settle and pay any claims.
