Union representing IRS workers asks judge to block Trump tax audit immunity deal

The National Treasury Employees Union has petitioned a judge to halt a tax audit immunity deal proposed for President Donald Trump and his family, contending it would compel IRS workers to prioritize political orders over adhering to the law. The union's involvement stems from a lawsuit filed in May that aimed to obstruct the proposed $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," which was subsequently abandoned due to bipartisan opposition.

The fresh lawsuit, submitted by advocacy group Democracy Forward, now also challenges the audit immunity accord extended to Trump, his progeny, and the Trump Organization, which remains intact. The plaintiffs argue that Trump and his kin are "bound to pay any taxes owed, just as any other citizen," yet the immunity decree enables IRS personnel to terminate ongoing audits of the president and his enterprises, thereby enabling Trump to "acquire a lucrative and unconstitutional emolument."

Doreen Greenwald, the national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, opined in a statement, "The credibility of our tax system hinges on a single principle: every taxpayer is bound by the identical laws and standards." "When political figures direct employees to treat certain taxpayers differently, it erodes public trust in our tax system and positions committed civil servants in an untenable position."

The legal action seeks to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing the immunity agreement, which, according to officials, applies solely to claims filed at the time of the settlement and does not safeguard the president from audits of subsequent tax filings. The lawsuit posits that the deal contravenes a statute that prohibits the president from obstructing tax audits.

An initial summary of the audit pact, outlined in a one-page memorandum signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, stipulated that the U.S. would be "forever barred and precluded" from scrutinizing present tax filings or prosecuting any of the plaintiffs—Trump, his offspring, and the Trump Organization—as well as other "related or affiliated" entities.