- Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
- Judge: Kathleen M. Williams.
- Case: Donald J. Trump, et al. v. Internal Revenue Service, et al.
- Docket No.: 1:26-cv-20609.
- Date of ruling: July 13, 2026.
- Original lawsuit: Trump sued the IRS and Treasury seeking $1.8 billion over the disclosure of his tax return information.
- Controversial settlement: The lawsuit was tied to a proposed $1.776 billion (approximately $1.8 billion) “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was later abandoned following bipartisan criticism.
- Judge’s findings:
- The lawsuit was filed for an “improper purpose.”
- The judge found the litigation lacked a genuine adversarial dispute because Trump was effectively suing agencies under his own administration.
- The ruling states the case attempted to legitimize an agreement that would have conferred benefits, including tax-related protections, through the judicial process.
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Judge Williams on why she rejected the lawsuit
“The Court finds that this matter was brought for an improper purpose—to gain the imprimatur of judicial legitimacy for a ‘settlement’ that had no viable basis in law or fact.”
On the court’s responsibility
“The Court cannot and will not allow its processes to be used to lend legitimacy to an agreement that exceeds constitutional and statutory authority.”
On the lack of a genuine legal dispute
“This action lacked the adversity required by Article III because the President sought relief from agencies that ultimately answer to him, while simultaneously asking the Court to bless a settlement conferring extraordinary benefits.”
On the integrity of the judicial system
“Federal courts exist to resolve actual cases and controversies—not to facilitate political agreements or provide judicial approval for arrangements unsupported by law. The judicial process cannot be manipulated in this fashion.”
- Sanctions ordered:
- Attorney Alejandro Brito was referred to the Florida Bar for possible disciplinary action.
- Attorney Daniel Epstein was barred from seeking pro hac vice admission in the Southern District of Florida for one year.
- The parties were prohibited from citing the purported settlement in future judicial or administrative proceedings.
Copy of the Judge’s Ruling
You can read the court order here: