Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

muriel_volestrangler

(106,600 posts)
Tue May 19, 2026, 04:42 PM Tuesday

US justice department 'forever' bars IRS from auditing Trump's past tax returns

Source: The Guardian

Addendum quietly slipped into widely criticized agreement creating a $1.7bn fund to compensate president’s allies

The justice department quietly added a provision barring the IRS from auditing Donald Trump’s tax returns on Tuesday, amending a widely criticized agreement that creates a secretive and loosely controlled $1.776bn fund to compensate allies of the president.

The addendum, signed by Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, says the government is “forever barred” and “precluded” from examining the tax returns of Trump, his family, company and “related companies”. The agreement applies to anything filed before the agreement was reached. It was posted on the justice department website on Tuesday morning, a day after the department announced creation of the fund.
...
The Tuesday amendment was released shortly after Blanche testified in a Senate hearing in which Democrats harshly criticized the agreement. “This is an outrageous, unprecedented slush fund that you set up,” said Chris van Hollen, a Maryland senator.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/19/trump-irs-settlement-tax-returns



Because Trump couldn't wait to get money out of this scandal by getting someone to bribe him for a payout from the slush fund; he wants guaranteed money.

As I have already said, he'll end up demanding his tax returns get him the Nobel Prize for Literature.
28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
US justice department 'forever' bars IRS from auditing Trump's past tax returns (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler Tuesday OP
Oh FFS... buzzycrumbhunger Tuesday #1
Just burn it all down tonekat Tuesday #2
DOJ can MAKE laws? That cannot be changed? Norrrm Tuesday #3
Guess they got "enforce" and "ignore" and "make up from whole cloth" mixed up. pat_k Tuesday #22
It's just more cover-up for his many financial crimes. greatauntoftriplets Tuesday #4
Not legally binding Fiendish Thingy Tuesday #5
Exactly what I came to say angrychair Tuesday #14
They probably gave Blanche enough of a bribe... Grumpy Old Guy Tuesday #17
Not when trump is made president for life quakerboy Tuesday #20
Meanwhile, in the reality based community...nt Fiendish Thingy Yesterday #24
They are all in a level of denial that is beyond anything I've ever witnessed in action. pat_k Tuesday #23
Dear God I hope so! calimary 17 hrs ago #28
First, why would that be necessary? What are they trying to hide? Buddyzbuddy Tuesday #6
Bull-shyte! LoisB Tuesday #7
The next AG can just reverse all that, right? sboatcar Tuesday #8
Yes angrychair Tuesday #15
US justice department, what a Fucking joke. republianmushroom Tuesday #9
Blanche will be adding dweller Tuesday #10
Subject to change after the elections. multigraincracker Tuesday #11
This is not a settlement that is based on the law. liberalgunwilltravel Tuesday #12
A Democratic Congress will care as much as honey badger C_U_L8R Tuesday #13
I was sure this was going to be from The Onion lpbk2713 Tuesday #16
and the corruption marches on mdbl Tuesday #18
SOAFB Katcat Tuesday #19
A pile of shit is still a pile of shit. pat_k Tuesday #21
Blanche is going to jail orangecrush Yesterday #25
This could all change with next Congress next administration oldmanlynn Yesterday #26
"....and his family members" JohnnyRingo 18 hrs ago #27

pat_k

(13,856 posts)
22. Guess they got "enforce" and "ignore" and "make up from whole cloth" mixed up.
Tue May 19, 2026, 11:04 PM
Tuesday

Easy to do. Like mixing up... well, i don't know, but they are there doing some damn thing about the law.

greatauntoftriplets

(179,353 posts)
4. It's just more cover-up for his many financial crimes.
Tue May 19, 2026, 04:50 PM
Tuesday

I imagine that someone will sue to block this, though where it ends up in the courts is anybody's guess.

Fiendish Thingy

(24,098 posts)
5. Not legally binding
Tue May 19, 2026, 04:50 PM
Tuesday

The next Dem AG can toss it in the shredder, and Trump can refile his $10 billion lawsuit.

Blanche must know he will be disbarred for this.

angrychair

(12,515 posts)
14. Exactly what I came to say
Tue May 19, 2026, 07:58 PM
Tuesday

Unless the AG suddenly got pardon power that isn't how any of this works.

I mean Mango Mussolini can pardon himself I guess, which I assume he will do, but the AG cannot pardon anyone.

pat_k

(13,856 posts)
23. They are all in a level of denial that is beyond anything I've ever witnessed in action.
Tue May 19, 2026, 11:11 PM
Tuesday

They actually believe they are "advancing" their careers.

They believe trumpublicanism is our future.

They are like school bullies who stick their fingers in their ears and sing "la la la la" when confronted with anything they don't like to think about.

We have a choice about what the next 10 years will look like. And it's up to us to commit, NOW, to making it so.

Imagine If This Moment Was Not About The Ascent of Authoritarians, But About A New Birth Of Global Freedom...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221186840

Buddyzbuddy

(2,911 posts)
6. First, why would that be necessary? What are they trying to hide?
Tue May 19, 2026, 05:00 PM
Tuesday

Second, good luck enforcing that beyond the rapist Felons term.

dweller

(28,703 posts)
10. Blanche will be adding
Tue May 19, 2026, 05:21 PM
Tuesday

addendums till the end of the Pisswig’s reign to cover all the laws he will continue to break

😑



✌🏻

liberalgunwilltravel

(1,253 posts)
12. This is not a settlement that is based on the law.
Tue May 19, 2026, 06:26 PM
Tuesday

IF, and that's a big IF, we return to a country of laws, this agreement will have no force of law.

C_U_L8R

(49,534 posts)
13. A Democratic Congress will care as much as honey badger
Tue May 19, 2026, 06:34 PM
Tuesday

Fuck the Trumps’ feelings and worthless provisions.

lpbk2713

(43,299 posts)
16. I was sure this was going to be from The Onion
Tue May 19, 2026, 08:14 PM
Tuesday


Unfuggenbelievable.

Not only Trump but the whole gang of thieves and liars?



Katcat

(610 posts)
19. SOAFB
Tue May 19, 2026, 10:01 PM
Tuesday

This is totally unacceptable! What use are the democrats if they’re sitting on their hands and acting like Susan Collins!

pat_k

(13,856 posts)
21. A pile of shit is still a pile of shit.
Tue May 19, 2026, 10:55 PM
Tuesday

I'm not a lawyer, but I can't imagine that ANYTHING about this corrupt agreement is lawful or enforceable upon the IRS or DOJ under legitimate leadership.

oldmanlynn

(845 posts)
26. This could all change with next Congress next administration
Wed May 20, 2026, 12:23 AM
Yesterday

If a Democratic president gets in, he can put in whoever he wants and they can change that. Even Congress could change that when in the Democrats hands.

JohnnyRingo

(20,996 posts)
27. "....and his family members"
Wed May 20, 2026, 09:18 AM
18 hrs ago

That part should be in bold print
Just in case someone thinks there's an honest person in his heritage.

Kick in to the DU tip jar?

This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.

As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.

Tell me more...

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»US justice department 'fo...