Andrew Weissmann, a former senior Department of Justice official, said a tax settlement between Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Donald Trump is deceptive.
The dispute centers on the legality and transparency of the agreement. Because Blanche is a nominee for Attorney General, the details of the deal are expected to be a focal point of his upcoming Senate confirmation hearing.
Speaking from the MS NOW studio during Lawrence O’Donnell’s program, Weissmann said the arrangement was a mechanism to protect the former president. According to reports, the settlement includes a provision that prohibits the IRS from examining the prior tax returns of Trump [2].
Weissmann also highlighted the inclusion of a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund within the deal [1]. The status of this fund remains a point of contention among sources. While some reports indicate the fund was confirmed dead by Blanche [1], other records suggest an expanded settlement agreement was signed by Blanche that implied the fund remained in place [1].
Blanche, who currently serves as Acting Attorney General, signed the DOJ order that bars the IRS from auditing those returns [2]. However, some reports note that while the settlement was expanded, it does not explicitly confirm if the audit-blocking provision is still active [1].
Weissmann said he intends to use the confirmation process to question Blanche on these specific points. He aims to determine whether the settlement followed legal protocols, or if it served as a specialized favor for the former president.
“The settlement bars the IRS from auditing Trump’s prior tax returns.”
This conflict highlights a significant tension regarding the independence of the Department of Justice and the IRS. If a settlement effectively grants a former president immunity from standard tax audits, it creates a legal precedent that deviates from traditional federal oversight. The upcoming Senate hearings will likely serve as the primary venue to determine if this agreement was a legitimate legal resolution or an improper use of executive authority.
