DOJ Says IRS Is “Forever Barred” from Investigating Trump Family Tax Returns |
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In a shocking and unprecedented move, the Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday saying the IRS is “forever barred” from investigating past tax returns of President Trump, his family, company and “related companies.” It came just a day after the department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to “compensate” people prosecuted for supposedly political reasons by the Biden and Obama administrations — a move expected to benefit January 6 insurrectionists, other Trump allies and even Trump himself. It’s all part of an agreement between the Department of Justice and President Trump’s personal attorneys in exchange for Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — President Trump’s former personal attorney — will appoint the commission overseeing the Justice Department’s new fund. “This is dictatorship in action,” says reporter David Cay Johnston. He calls the “anti-weaponization” fund “a slush fund to pay a criminal enforcement arm, a violent arm of Trump supporters to intimidate people” and says the order to not investigate the Trump family’s dealings “screams that Donald Trump is, in fact, a criminal-level tax cheat.”
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: In an extraordinary move, the Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday saying the IRS is, quote, “forever barred,” unquote, from investigating past tax returns of President Trump, his family, company and “related companies.” The memo was issued a day after the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund to make payments to individuals, including January 6 insurrectionists, who say they were wrongly targeted. The so-called anti-weaponization fund would be overseen by five commissioners appointed by the attorney general, who is President Trump’s former personal attorney.
The two announcements come after President Trump dropped his unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Trump, his sons and their family business filed the suit over the leak of their tax returns by a former IRS contractor who was sentenced to five years in prison for leaking the documents.
Democrats and Republicans have expressed alarm over the agreements. On Monday, the Treasury Department’s top lawyer, Brian Morrissey, resigned shortly after the fund was announced.
The IRS Is Installing Trump Loyalists to Probe Supposed “Antifa” Funding
On Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a Senate hearing about the fund. This is Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Mr. Attorney General, this is an outrageous, unprecedented slush fund that you set up. Simple question: will eligible — will individuals who assaulted Capitol Hill police officers be eligible for this fund? ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Well, as it makes plain, anybody is — SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Will they be — just let me know if they’re eligible for the fund. ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: As was made plain yesterday, anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they were a victim of weaponization. SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Mr. Attorney General, let me ask you this: Are there going to be rules that say that if you’ve assaulted a Capitol Hill police officer or committed a violent crime, you will not be eligible? Why not make that a rule? ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: I expect that the — well, because I’m not one of the commissioners setting up the rules. I expect that there will be rules set up. SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: But you’re appointing four of five of the members, aren’t you, Mr. Attorney General? ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Pardon me? SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: You’re appointing four of the five members. ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: I am appointing all five members. SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: You can simply set up the rules. I would hope you will make a rule that anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer or violent crime is simply not eligible. They should not apply.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Mr. Attorney General, this is an outrageous, unprecedented slush fund that you set up. Simple question: will eligible — will individuals who assaulted Capitol Hill police officers be eligible for this fund?
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Well, as it makes plain, anybody is —
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Will they be — just let me know if they’re eligible for the fund.
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: As was made plain yesterday, anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they were a victim of weaponization.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Mr. Attorney General, let me ask you this: Are there going to be rules that say that if you’ve assaulted a Capitol Hill police officer or committed a violent crime, you will not be eligible? Why not make that a rule?
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: I expect that the — well, because I’m not one of the commissioners setting up the rules. I expect that there will be rules set up.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: But you’re appointing four of five of the members, aren’t you, Mr. Attorney General?
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Pardon me?
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: You’re appointing four of the five members.
ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: I am appointing all five members.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: You can simply set up the rules. I would hope you will make a rule that anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer or violent crime is simply not eligible. They should not apply.
AMY GOODMAN: Senator Van Hollen later questioned Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about his personal role in the agreement.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: So, you’re not going to — you’re not going to submit this proposal to any federal judge or independent — ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: There is no judge. SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Any independent authority that — ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: An independent — what does that mean, an independent authority? What does that mean? SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: It means not somebody who’s getting to pick........