President Donald Trump, along with his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization, has voluntarily dismissed their $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department. The lawsuit, filed in a Miami federal court, was related to the 2019 leak of Trump's confidential tax returns to *The New York Times* and *ProPublica* by a former IRS contractor, who later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison. The case was dismissed "with prejudice," meaning Trump cannot refile it .
The dismissal of the lawsuit coincides with reports that the Trump administration has agreed to create a $1.7–1.8 billion fund to compensate individuals who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, including defendants involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. The fund, described as an "anti-weaponization" mechanism, is part of a settlement deal to resolve the IRS lawsuit. While Trump and his family will receive a formal apology under the terms, they will not receive any monetary compensation .
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who argue that the fund amounts to a "slush fund" for Trump’s allies. Senator Ron Wyden, a top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, called the decision a "stunning act of corruption," warning that it could set a precedent for the "most brazen theft and abuse of taxpayer dollars by any president in American history." Wyden emphasized that Trump deserved no credit for dropping the lawsuit, regardless of his motivations .
The lawsuit’s withdrawal came just days before a court deadline requiring the parties to demonstrate a legitimate legal controversy, as Trump, in his capacity as president, oversees the IRS. Trump’s legal team argued in their filing that "no judicial analysis is appropriate" following the dismissal . The Justice Department has since announced the creation of the $1.7 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who claim they were politically persecuted .
> Background: **Trump drops 10B IRS lawsuit, secures 1.8B fund for allies amid criticism.** — *2 hours ago*