Federal Judge Sanctions Lawyers Over Trump IRS Settlement

WASHINGTON – A federal judge has sanctioned two attorneys representing former President Donald Trump and one Department of Justice lawyer. The sanctions stem from a 2022 settlement concerning an IRS audit of Trump's tax returns.

U.S. Tax Court Judge David Gustafson ruled that the settlement, valued at $1.8 billion, was an attempt to 'manipulate' the court. Judge Gustafson voided the agreement, which he stated granted Trump immunity from further tax audits.

He referred one of Trump's lawyers, Sheri Dillon, to a disciplinary committee for further review. Evan Corcoran, another attorney for Trump, also received sanctions. The judge levied sanctions against Department of Justice lawyer Brian C. Stewart as well.

The settlement, reached in 2022, pertained to an audit of Trump's 2010 tax return. The audit focused on a $2.8 million charitable deduction claimed by Trump from a conservation easement on his Seven Springs estate in Westchester County, New York.

Judge Gustafson determined that the settlement circumvented standard judicial procedures. He asserted the agreement aimed to establish an 'anti-weaponization fund' by redirecting funds from the Treasury to the court's administrative account. The judge stated that such a fund lacked legal basis or precedent.