{"id":2604713,"date":"2026-05-19T20:08:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T00:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-his-sons-forever-exempt-from-tax-audits-under-irs-addendum\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T20:11:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T00:11:57","slug":"trump-and-his-sons-forever-exempt-from-tax-audits-under-irs-addendum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-and-his-sons-forever-exempt-from-tax-audits-under-irs-addendum\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump and his sons &#8216;forever&#8217; exempt from tax audits under IRS addendum"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-and-his-sons-forever-exempt-from-tax-audits-under-irs-addendum%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2604713&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Department of Justice has issued a settlement addendum that forever bars the IRS from auditing or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ccp-linked-groups-mount-farm-lobbying-campaign\/\" title=\"CCP-linked groups mount farm lobbying campaign\">pursuing claims related<\/a> to President Donald Trump\u2019s past tax returns and those of his adult sons. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a brief order stating that any pending tax-related claims against Trump, his family, or the Trump Organization are released and that the government is permanently \u201cprecluded\u201d from addressing returns filed before the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>The addendum follows DOJ\u2019s dismissal of a $10 billion lawsuit Trump brought over the alleged leak of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-senate-republicans-demand-justice-department-probe-into-tax-disclosures\/\" title=\"Top Senate Republicans Demand ... ... Probe Into Tax Disclosures\">confidential tax records<\/a> during the Biden governance.In exchange for dropping the suit, the DOJ agreed to create a new \u201cAnti-Weaponization Fund\u201d for people who say they were unfairly targeted by prior administrations-though Trump and his adult children are not expected to receive direct compensation and are rather expected to receive a formal apology.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement also appears designed to avoid a judge\u2019s concern about whether the parties were truly adversarial, and DOJ officials said the waiver language reflects standard settlement practice and is limited to existing audits rather than future ones. The article also cites House and IRS findings from a 2022 inquiry that the IRS did not properly enforce annual audit policies during Trump\u2019s first term,and it notes the tax-record breach was traced to former contractor charles Littlejohn,who pleaded guilty in 2023 to unlawfully disclosing Trump\u2019s tax details and other confidential IRS records.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Department of Justice<\/a> released a settlement addendum Tuesday permanently barring the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/irs\/\">IRS<\/a> from auditing the past tax returns of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> and his adult sons, just one day after the administration unveiled a $1.776 billion \u201cAnti-Weaponization Fund\u201d geared toward alleged victims of government abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Acting Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/todd-blanche\/\">Todd Blanche<\/a> signed the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/media\/1441216\/dl\">one-page order<\/a>, which states the IRS \u201creleases, waives, acquits\u201d any pending claims against Trump, his family, or the Trump Organization and is \u201cforever barred and precluded\u201d from pursuing claims tied to tax returns filed before Monday\u2019s settlement agreement.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4575062\/ninth-circuit-likely-adds-doj-losing-streak-state-voter-roll-lawsuits\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ninth Circuit likely adds to DOJ losing streak over state voter roll lawsuits<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4574234\/todd-blanche-promise-not-recommend-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Blanche promises not to recommend pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4574193\/tyler-robinson-lawyers-push-close-key-pretrial-hearing\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tyler Robinson\u2019s lawyers push to close key pretrial hearing<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Graeme Jennings\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The addendum stems from Trump\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4572715\/doj-announces-anti-weaponization-fund-biden-lawfare\/\">now-dismissed $10 billion lawsuit<\/a> against the IRS over the leak of his confidential tax records during the Biden administration. In exchange for dismissing the suit, the DOJ agreed to establish a new compensation fund aimed at individuals who allege they were unfairly targeted by prior administrations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The settlement also sidesteps scrutiny from a federal judge who recently questioned whether Trump and the DOJ were truly adversarial parties, a requirement for maintaining the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>A DOJ spokesperson defended the agreement Tuesday, saying the waiver language was standard settlement practice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs is customary in settlements, both sides have executed waivers of a variety of claims that were or could have been brought,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cThis is only with respect to existing audits, not future.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The Trump Organization and his eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, are beneficiaries of the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >prior tax audit exemption<\/a> because they were plaintiffs in the case. Neither Trump nor his adult children will receive direct compensation from the fund but are expected to receive a formal apology.<\/p>\n<p>A 2022 investigation by the House Ways and Means Committee revealed that the IRS failed to properly enforce a long-standing policy to conduct annual audits during Trump\u2019s first term in office. This legal settlement effectively closes the door on the IRS ever finishing or initiating further examinations into his past tax filings. It is also unclear whether there are any such audits currently under IRS review.<\/p>\n<p>During his presidential campaigns and prior presidency, Trump repeatedly declined to release his tax returns while citing the ongoing audits. Previous reporting from the <em>New York Times<\/em> and <em>ProPublica<\/em> found the IRS had been examining deductions and tax strategies that could have exposed Trump to roughly $100 million in liabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives for Trump fiercely pushed back following the May 2024 reports, calling the scrutiny a politically motivated hit job. Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said at the time that the tax matter \u201cwas settled years ago, only to be brought back to life once my father ran for office.\u201d Trump\u2019s legal team has argued that the complex deductions were entirely legal and backed at the time by top tax experts, including a former IRS general counsel.<\/p>\n<p>The underlying leak at the center of Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-trump-lawyer-says-trump-will-appeal-verdict-in-e-jean-carroll-civil-lawsuit\/\" title=\"...&#039;s lawyer plans to appeal E. Jean Carroll&#039;s civil ... verdict.\">lawsuit traces back<\/a> to former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2579699\/ex-irs-contractor-who-leaked-trumps-tax-returns-pleads-guilty\/\">Charles Littlejohn<\/a>, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to unlawfully disclosing Trump\u2019s tax records and thousands of other confidential IRS files. Prosecutors said Littlejohn sought access to Trump\u2019s returns because he viewed the president as \u201cdangerous and a threat to democracy.\u201d He previously leaked tax information connected to thousands of wealthy U.S. residents to <em>ProPublica<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4574584\/todd-blanche-doj-anti-weaponization-fund-beyond-biden-harms\/\">TODD BLANCHE: DOJ \u2018ANTI-WEAPONIZATION\u2019 FUND EXTENDS BEYOND BIDEN-CAUSED HARMS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The scope of the breach turned out to be far larger than initially understood. The IRS disclosed last year <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-judiciary.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/Jordan%20%20%28Data%20Breach%20and%20Security%29%20-%20Final.pdf\">it had notified roughly 405,427 taxpayers<\/a> whose information was improperly accessed or leaked by Littlejohn, far surpassing earlier public estimates, according to a letter sent to Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jim-jordan\/\">Jim Jordan<\/a> (R-OH).<\/p>\n<p>Democrats blasted the arrangement after Blanche <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4574584\/todd-blanche-doj-anti-weaponization-fund-beyond-biden-harms\/\">defended the fund<\/a> during congressional testimony earlier Tuesday. Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jamie-raskin\/\">Jamie Raskin<\/a> (D-MD) called the settlement a \u201cracket,\u201d while Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elizabeth-warren\/\">Elizabeth Warren<\/a> (D-MA) described it on X as \u201ccorruption on steroids\u201d and a \u201cgiant slush fund of taxpayer dollars for his MAGA buddies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ settlement addendum bars IRS from auditing Trump\u2019s past returns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2604714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP24016190490366.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[79955,8362,79954,3634],"class_list":["post-2604713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-donald-trump-jr-2","tag-irs","tag-tax-audits","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP24016190490366.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2604713"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2604717,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2604713\/revisions\/2604717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2604714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2604713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2604713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2604713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}