Judge; Trump IRS Lawsuit Filed For ‘Improper Purpose’

July 14, 2026 5:05 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge says President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns was filed for an “improper purpose” as she referred one of his attorneys for possible disciplinary action. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams on Monday amounts to a stinging rebuke of the Republican president’s lawsuit, characterizing it as an exercise in self-dealing in which he sued an entity that is effectively under his control. The suit concluded in May with a settlement agreement that created a since-abandoned $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate allies of the president, as well as immunity from tax audits.