Story perspectives

Acting AG Extends Trump IRS Waiver, Creates $1.8 B Slush Fund

5/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an addendum on May 20, 2026 extending the Trump-IRS settlement; it bears only his signature and no IRS sign-off.
The settlement bars President Donald Trump, his children and the Trump Organization from IRS examinations of returns filed before May 19, 2026.
Senate Finance Committee chair Ron Wyden says the waiver may breach statutes against executive interference; the Justice Department created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund called a slush fund.

History

Historical Context

Watergate began with the June 17, 1972 DNC break-in, leading Attorney General Elliott Richardson to appoint special prosecutor Archibald Cox in May 1973. The ensuing “Saturday Night Massacre” spurred Congress to pass the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, which created a formal independent-counsel system used in about twenty investigations until its 1999 expiration.

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Story summary

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an addendum on May 20, 2026 extending the Trump-IRS settlement; it bears only his signature and no IRS sign-off.
The settlement bars President Donald Trump, his children and the Trump Organization from IRS examinations of returns filed before May 19, 2026.
Senate Finance Committee chair Ron Wyden says the waiver may breach statutes against executive interference; the Justice Department created a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund called a slush fund.

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