The US Department of Justice has told a watchdog group it holds no records of a controversial $1.776 billion Internal Revenue Service settlement reached under Donald Trump's presidency, raising fresh questions in Washington this week over how one of his largest legal deals was approved and by whom.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization filed against the IRS, seeking $10 billion in damages after a former IRS contractor leaked tax return information. The agreement, concluded on May 18, 2026, set up a vast 'anti‑weaponisation' fund for people claiming they were improperly targeted for their political views and reportedly included extraordinary protections for Trump and his family.
