This article is commentary on matters of public concern. It is not legal advice. Consult licensed counsel about specific situations.
The President of the United States just sued himself and won $1.776 billion. Your money paid for it. On May 18, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer in three of his criminal cases, issued an order creating a brand-new fund. That fund will compensate “victims of lawfare and weaponization.” Trump’s appointees will decide who qualifies. No court will review their decisions. No taxpayer will see the names.
You need to understand what just happened. The settlement breaks the Appropriations Clause. It breaks the Judgment Fund statute. It breaks the Miscellaneous Receipts Statute. It probably breaks the Domestic Emoluments Clause. It sets the table for conspiracy charges, False Claims Act suits, and bar discipline against the lawyers who signed it. Every disbursement adds another violation. Read this and learn what to do about it.
The agreement settles Trump v. IRS, No. 1:26-cv-20609-KMW (S.D. Fla.).1 Plaintiffs Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization filed suit on January 29, 2026. They sought $10 billion for the IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn’s 2019 theft and leak of Trump’s tax returns. Littlejohn pleaded guilty in October 2023 and was sentenced to five years in prison in January 2024.
The settlement was...
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