Appeals court declines to pause sanctions against Trump lawyers in IRS settlement
DJT•The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to immediately block sanctions against lawyers for Donald Trump over a $10 billion IRS lawsuit and its settlement.
1. Court leaves sanctions in place
The Atlanta-based appeals court rejected a request by Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department to immediately block sanctions imposed by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams. Her order concluded that Trump improperly filed the $10 billion lawsuit to extract personal benefits from the government, including a now-abandoned plan for a nearly $1.8 billion fund for allies and protections from tax audits.
2. Restrictions in the order
The order referred one of Trump’s personal lawyers to Florida legal disciplinary authorities and barred the parties, including Trump, his adult sons and his namesake company, from referring to the settlement or citing its terms in future legal proceedings. Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department argued on appeal that the ruling violated First Amendment protections for free speech.
