Judge Orders Trump to Address Fraud Claims Over $1.8 Billion IRS Settlement Fund

A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to respond by June 12 to allegations that his $1.8 billion settlement with the Internal Revenue Service was obtained through fraud on the court. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams directed Trump’s lawyers to address whether the parties were truly adverse and if her dismissal of the case was based on deception. The order follows a request by 35 former federal judges to reopen the lawsuit after the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund in exchange for Trump dropping his claims over an IRS tax information leak. Critics have called the fund a slush fund for Trump allies. The deal also bars investigations into Trump’s past tax returns. Separately, a Virginia judge on Friday temporarily blocked the fund’s operation while she weighs a longer-term injunction. Williams said she would consider reopening the case if the court was a victim of fraud.