Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UeGBUkOyic
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A federal judge is now demanding to know whether her own court was defrauded by the Trump administration U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams launched an inquiry on May 29, 2026 into whether Trump defrauded her court by filing the IRS suit as a pretext to reach the settlement — POLITICO
Judge Kathleen Williams has ordered President Trump’s lawyers to explain, by June 12, whether his lawsuit against the IRS was ever a real case Williams directed Trump, his sons and his company to respond by June 12 on whether the case should be reopened because the court may have been defrauded and whether Trump colluded with his own government to avoid judicial scrutiny — POLITICO
In January, Trump sued the IRS for ten billion dollars over the leak of his tax returns Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization filed the $10 billion suit in January 2026 over the 2019–2020 leak of his tax returns by a former IRS contractor — The Hill
His Justice Department announced the settlement: drop the suit, and create the anti-weaponization fund to pay people who claim the government targeted them After Trump moved to drop the suit, DOJ announced a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who allege they were wrongly targeted, overseen by a five-member commission appointed by the attorney general — ABC News
The same agreement barred the IRS from touching Trump’s old returns Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a memo blocking the IRS from taking any action against Trump regarding his prior tax returns — The Hill
Williams had already flagged the obvious problem — the president was suing an agency he controls Before dismissing the case, Judge Williams had questioned whether Trump and the agencies he oversees were sufficiently adverse to justify the lawsuit — Axios
The government never filed a single defense, and the settlement was never put before her court Williams noted the settlement was never docketed in the case, leaving no settlement of record, and the government submitted no filings in response to the suit — ABC News
Now thirty-five former federal judges, appointed by both parties, have asked her to investigate whether the case was a fraud on the court A bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges, appointed by presidents of both parties, asked Williams on May 27, 2026 to reopen the case, arguing it was a fraud on the court — CNN
Williams cited the rule that lawsuits can’t be filed for an improper purpose Williams pointed to the federal rule requiring court filings not be presented for any improper purpose, noting a frivolous suit filed solely to force a settlement could qualify — POLITICO
A separate judge froze the fund the same day Earlier on May 29, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily halted all operation of the fund — barring transfers, claim processing and payouts — pending a June 12 hearing — CNN
Critics in both parties have called it out The settlement and fund drew bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans — KQED