President Donald Trump walked away from his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for a $1.776 billion fund. But a group of retired bipartisan judges isn't letting the story die quietly.
On Wednesday, the group — which includes retired judge J. Michael Luttig, who testified during the 2021 Capitol riot investigation — filed a court document urging the court to reopen the recently dismissed lawsuit. Their concern? The settlement that led to the dismissal may have been tainted by fraud.
The judges wrote that the settlement "raises profound questions about the parties' candor toward the Court and manipulation of the judicial system." They're invoking Rule 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which allows for a case to be reopened if there's evidence of fraud. Alternatively, they're asking the presiding judge to take the initiative and reopen the case independently.
Their argument is blunt: the settlement "was not, and never will be, legally justified." The group is part of a broader legal movement opposing the Trump administration's newly established $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," which is meant to compensate individuals who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the government.
"The unprecedentedly fraudulent scheme here more than warrants voiding the dismissal," the judges wrote.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
