r/protectUSelections

May 19, 2026 - Fulltext

The Justice Department on Tuesday expanded the just-announced settlement of President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over the leaking of his tax returns to include a pledge that the IRS will no longer pursue any claims it may have against Trump, his family members and his companies over unpaid taxes.

The nine-page settlement agreement DOJ released Monday, setting up a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged weaponization of law enforcement, did not mention any resolution of disputes over Trump’s tax returns, which he has repeatedly claimed were under protracted audits by the IRS.

However, a one-page document posted on the DOJ website early Tuesday includes a sweeping release under which the IRS is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing “examinations” of Trump, “related or affiliated individuals,” and related trusts and businesses.

The waiver specifically encompasses “tax returns filed before the effective date” of the settlement, which was Monday.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the addendum, dated Tuesday. It does not bear the signature of any representative of the IRS or any current Trump lawyers. Metadata attached to the document indicates it was prepared or scanned at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday.

Blanche did not sign the original settlement agreement, which was signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, IRS CEO Frank Bisignano and Trump attorney Daniel Epstein.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the waiver wasn’t included in the agreement released Monday and why it isn’t signed by the same people.

“As is customary in settlements, both sides have executed waivers of a variety of claims that were or could have been brought,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “There would be little point in settling several significant claims if either party could simply turn around and seek to initiative more adverse claims that could have been pursued previously.” 

“This is only with respect to existing audits, not future,” the DOJ statement added. 

John Koskinen, the former IRS commissioner from 2013 to 2017, said the expanded settlement set a “terrible precedent” that could effectively generate a windfall for Trump.“It makes you wonder what the President has to hide in those tax returns. He’s apparently been actively trading in the stock market and, since he knows a lot more about situations than the average investor, he’s probably generated significant taxable earnings,” he said in an emailed statement. “Not auditing his returns is the same as giving him an easy way to, in effect, receive money from the government.”

Danny Werfel, the former IRS commissioner from 2023 to 2025, said he was “unaware of a single precedent where the IRS has agreed in advance to permanently forgo examination of previously filed tax returns for a specific person or business.”

Press reports in advance of the settlement indicated that a potential deal might include an agreement by the government to drop all audits of Trump-related returns and perhaps even to refrain from future audits.

Blanche spent more than two hours Tuesday testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. He faced numerous skeptical questions about the settlement and the related “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” but was not asked about the impact of the deal on Trump’s outstanding tax issues.

Following an announcement Tuesday on an antitrust prosecution, Woodward defended the settlement with Trump and the creation of the fund.

“I already have the authority to settle any claim that is brought against the United States of America,” Woodward told reporters at DOJ headquarters. “I frankly think that we should be ecstatic about the idea that we’re going to inject more accountability into the process, as opposed to having just one person sign off on settlements.”

“I think that it’s way, way, way too early for us to rush to judgment on whether this was a good or a bad idea, to describe it as a slush fund, or really even to criticize it,” Woodward added.

As he left the press conference, Woodward did not respond to a question about the addendum released Tuesday ending all pending tax audits of the president and his companies.

https://bsky.app/profile/jayapal.house.gov/post/3mm7yizmxi22e

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/trump-irs-settlement-tax-returns-00927911

Video by More Perfect Union - May 18, 2026.

Cisco Aguilar is Nevada's Secretary of State: nvsos.gov/sos-information/office-facts/about-francisco-v-aguilar

Jonathan Diaz is Director of Voting Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center (CLC): campaignlegal.org/staff/jonathan-diaz

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Here’s the full 14-minutes on YouTube: The Shocking Billionaire Plot To Steal The Midterms - More Perfect Union - May 18, 2026 (YouTube)

From the description: 50% of voters say being forced to show a passport would be a barrier to voting, according to a new poll we conducted. Billionaires like Elon Musk, the Uihleins, and Leonard Leo are funding Trump’s attempts to take over elections and nullify your vote. This is a plot to end democracy.

More Perfect Union is an Emmy-winning, nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people: perfectunion.us

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* U.S. Primary Election Dates (for every State): 270toWin ~or~ Ballotpedia

* U.S. Voting Info (for every State): Register To Vote :~:~: Voter Registration Status :~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~: Become a Poll Worker (Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.)

SOURCE: Aaron Rupar https://x.com/i/status/2056490491223417069

https://bsky.app/profile/kylegriffin1.bsky.social/post/3mm57beemds23